Weapons grade laser validated in military test.

• Author: Williams, Robert H.
• Position: TECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS

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* Scientists and engineers have scored a first in achieving more than 105 kilowatts of electric light ray intensity in the final demonstration milestone of the military's Joint High Power Solid State Laser Program, Phase 3.

A level of 100 kilowatts is considered the gateway for weapons grade lasers.

"Our modular JHPSSL design makes it straightforward to scale laser weapons to mission-required power levels for a variety of uses to include force protection and precision strike missions for air, sea and land-based platforms," says Dan Wildt, vice president for directed energy systems for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Sector in...