Naomi Cooper
Northrop Grumman has concluded a preliminary design review for a high-energy laser being developed for the Department of Defense under a $72 million contract.
The High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative calls for the demonstration of a high-energy laser technology that is scalable to 300 kilowatt-class power to upgrade the U.S. military’s missile defense capabilities, Northrop said Monday.
“This is an important step in the ability to combine high-power laser beams into a single beam that can be scaled for maximum power,” said Robert Fleming, vice president and general manager of strategic space systems at Northrop.
The defense contractor plans to test the prototype at progressively higher class powers to demonstrate the laser’s coherent beam combining design.
Earlier this month, Northrop announced the development of a new missile integration facility in West Virginia to accommodate the production of 600 missile weapon systems.
