Fiber lasers offer several advantages, including high surface-to-volume ratio for effective heat removal, compact size and high efficiency. These advantages will allow them to be packaged onto such platforms as aircraft pods and fighters for missions such as aircraft self-protection and long-range strike.

Northrop Grumman has produced an output of 500 watts using the company’s unique coherent array architecture that combines the power of four fiber amplifier chains to produce the highest level of phased power achieved with this directed energy technology.

With continued success in scaling fiber lasers to high power, Northrop Grumman is realizing the results of a multi-year effort to achieve high power from a single element fiber amplifier and to understand the important issues involved in coherently combining many individual elements to obtain sufficient optical power for directed energy weapons.

For more information, contact Directed Energy Systems.