In a recent laboratory demonstration, global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin’s Directed Energy Interceptor for Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense System (DEIMOS) achieved the ‘first light’, a development milestone.
“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,” according to Lockheed Martin.
“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.
The 50 kW-class DEIMOS system is a ruggedized, tactical laser platform that can be integrated into US Army Stryker combat vehicle to enhance its directed energy capability for maneuver-short range air defense (M-SHORAD) mission.
The milestone verifies that the tactical laser weapon’s optical performance parameters align with the company’s Spectral Beam Combination system.
Significance
Lockheed Martin’s DEIMOS first light demonstration is an important milestone for weapon technology as it prepares to compete for the army’s Directed Energy Manoeuvre Short-Range Air Defence (DE M-SHORAD) program. This is intended to deliver a maneuverable laser system capable of negating unmanned aerial systems, rotary-wing aircraft and rockets, artillery and mortars.
The key benefit of the company’s low-cost, game-changing Spectral Beam Combination (SBC) is that power can be increased while maintaining the excellent beam quality of the individual fiber lasers.
What next?
Lockheed Martin plans to continue DEIMOS testing in 2023 and targets 2024 for field integration tests of the system.
“This thorough approach is designed to reduce risk, to enable soldier touchpoints, and to provide proof points of compelling mission capabilities,” the company said in a statement.