Northrop Advance Brings Era of Laser Gun CloserMarch 26, 2009
 Northrop Grumman engineers in California have designed an electric laser that can produce a sizzling 100-kilowatt ray of light, a major step toward transforming a laser gun from fantasy to a functional weaponry. The development might allow scientists to create laser weapons small enough to fit on a fighter jet but powerful enough to destroy enemy targets, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. And while laser weapons are not yet ready for prime time, experts think they might become combat-ready by the middle of the next decade. The Northrop laser is now beyond the design phase and heading to field testing. The Army's manager for the Joint High Power Solid State Laser Program, Brian Strickland, said Northrop has "proved" that a laser powered by electricity could generate a beam powerful enough to destroy targets. A solid-state laser beam is generated by electricity—either by a jet engine or the turbines of a tank. While chemical laser can produce more intense beams, they rely on large quantities of chemicals (and space) to fuel the reaction. Just a few years ago, scientists could not have conceived that an electric laser could produce a 100-kilowatt beam. At that time, even a 10-kilowatt laser beam would have been a major accomplishment. The next step will be to begin trying to shoot down missiles with the weapon. The laser would also have to be scaled down and made more rugged to withstand the bruising expected on the battlefield. (2009 Northrop Grumman Corporation. (Released)) |
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