High-energy laser weapon prototypes to be fabricated by early 2028

Naval

17 March 2023

By: Robert Dougherty

Helios laser system. Photo: Lockheed Martin.

High-energy laser weapon systems prototypes will be manufactured and delivered by March 2028, under a US$75 million multiple award contract announced by the US State Department this week.

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Under the deal, multiple companies will fabricate and deliver prototypes and equipment in support of solid-state high-energy laser weapon systems for the US Naval Surface Warfare Center.

Rolls-Royce North America operating as Liberty Works, General Atomics, Dynetics, II-VI Aerospace, Lockheed Martin Aculight, nLIGHT Nutronics, and NUBURU have all been listed as involved in the contract when it was announced on 16 March this year.

Defence primes, Rolls-Royce, and Lockheed Martin have previously worked together for the development of the ColdfireTM thermal and power system for directed energy field tests in December 2020. That system was designed to power a Lockheed Martin 100-kilowatt directed energy system to address solutions for land-based, airborne, and sea vessels.