Lockheed Martin has developed a multi-level laser protection system against missiles, artillery shells, mortars, drones, assault boats and light ground vehicles.

Lockheed Martin develops laser weapon systems to protect soldiers at sea, in the air and on land. This innovation called multi-level laser protection systemcombined with the integration of a specialist platform to map the growing spectrum of threats to the armed forces and infrastructure.

“Today our technology is ready to defend against small rockets, artillery shells and mortars, small drones, small gunboats and light surface vehicles up to a mile away.“, the company’s website says.”As the power of fiber lasers increases, our systems will be able to eliminate larger threats and do so at greater distances.“.

Lockheed Martin has expertise in the activation technologies required to deploy laser weapon systems on military aircraft, ground vehicles and ships.

“Our fiber lasers generate less heat and are contained in a smaller package, making them easier to integrate into a variety of defense platforms. Our ALADIN laser has proven the reliability of our solutions by working in the field for two years without the need for re-adjustment.Senior Scientist in the Department of Laser Sensors and Systems, Dr. Rob Afzal said.

The company achieves this level of success through two basic approaches, which it defines as:

• A simple, reliable, scalable technology that combines a few kilowatts of laser to deliver weapon-quality power: ALADIN produces the highest power ever recorded for a laser of its kind, while maintaining excellent beam quality and electrical efficiency. Through a technique called spectral beam coupling, multiple fiber laser modules create a single, powerful, high-quality beam that provides greater efficacy and lethality than multiple 10 kilowatt lasers. With less power, the laser gets more power on the target.
• Beam-guiding technology that uses mirrors and lenses to shape and regulate laser energy: For laser devices with output power from 10 kilowatts to 1 megawatt, the company’s optical and software beam-guiding algorithms fine-tune the energy flow into a focused beam. On the way to the target, the energy passes through an optical mirror and lens system that concentrates and adapts it according to the disturbances in the atmosphere it will pass through.

“Our beam control technology provides an accuracy equivalent to pulling a tennis ball from the top of the Empire State Building from the San Francisco Bay Bridge.said Paul Shattuck, Director of Directed Energy Systems.

Lockheed Martin research and development improves the performance of laser weapon systems by reducing their size, weight and power consumption, making them highly efficient and practical.