Lockheed Martin passed the «first light» test of the Short Range Air Defense Directed Energy Interceptor System (DEIMOS), which verifies that the laser’s optical performance parameters match the system’s design parameters.
Lockheed Martin’s 50 kW DEIMOS system is a robust tactical laser weapon system, which can be integrated into the Stryker combat vehicle, to provide robust Mobile Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) for the U.S. Army.
“The 50 kW-class laser weapon system brings another critical piece to help ensure the U.S. Army has a layered air defense capability,” said Rick Cordaro, vice president, Lockheed Martin Advanced Product Solutions. “DEIMOS has been tailored from our prior laser weapon successes to affordably meet the Army’s larger modernization strategy for air and missile defense and to improve mission success with 21st Century Security solutions.”
See also: Rafael and Lockheed Martin partner to offer IRON BEAM laser system in the U.S.
Why it’s important
The demonstration of Lockheed Martin’s DEIMOS first light is a crucial milestone on the path to providing a maneuverable laser system capable of nullifying unmanned aerial systems (UAS), rotary wing aircraft, rockets, artillery shells and mortars.
The first light measures the expected beam quality of the system, while testing the overall performance of the design under low-cost and revolutionary SBC (Spectral Beam Combination) architecture. The key advantage of SBC is that the power can be scaled while maintaining the excellent beam quality of the individual fiber lasers.
The DEIMOS system can be seamlessly integrated into various platforms, such as a Stryker vehicle, because it was designed with limitations in terms of size, weight and power (SWaP).
The future
Lockheed Martin will expand the DEIMOS test program in 2023, culminating in field integration testing in 2024. This comprehensive approach is designed to reduce risk, enable soldier contact and provide proof points of compelling mission capabilities.
