A Lockheed Martin spokesman said the laser beam would not actually be red and would not be visible when deployed. The laser is what the company calls a “combined fiber” laser beam, bringing together individual lasers to form a single, stronger beam. “We’re really at the dawn of an era of the utility of laser weapons,” said Robert Afzal, senior fellow for laser and sensor systems at Lockheed Martin. The Army already has laser weapons it is testing, but Lockheed’s laser may have advantages in power and portability. The 60-killowatt laser has its origins in the Defense Department’s Robust electric laser initiative, which started in 2010 and ended when a 15-kilowatt laser was developed.

Source: Washington Post March 16, 2017 20:47 UTC