Northrop Grumman Demonstrates Compact, Rugged Solid-State Laser for Military Applications Against Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Components

Northrop Grumman Corporation has test fired the first product in its next-generation FIRESTRIKE™ family of high-energy, solid-state lasers that meet goals for size and weight reduction and ruggedization for operational applications.

The tests, conducted in the company's Redondo Beach laboratory, demonstrated that the laser could burn through the skin and critical components of a target drone used to simulate anti-ship cruise missile threats to U.S. Navy ships.

The laser, called Gamma, uses a "slab" architecture similar to previous Northrop Grumman high-power lasers. It operated at 13.3 kilowatts for a number of shots over a total of 1.5 hours with stable performance and a beam quality that exceeded design goals, completing the initial phase of trials.

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