Northrop Grumman's laser system passes second major milestone

Last we heard from Northrop Grumman it was making some steady progress towards a weapons-grade laser system, and it now looks like that's even closer to becoming a reality, with the company announcing that the system has passed its second major milestone with flying colors. According to the company, the key "laser chain" component was demonstrated on December 20th, 2007, and actually exceeded all target requirements, including reaching a power of 15.3kW, a good deal above the 12.7kW they were aiming for. That component is just one part of the so-called Joint High-Powered Solid State Laser Phase 3 Program, which is designed to combine eight laser chains for a peak power level of 100kW, otherwise known as the level deemed necessary for weapons-grade laser systems. While there's still no indication as to when that might happen, Northrop Grumman has gone as far to say that, with this latest test, "the hardest part is over," so it looks like it might not be as far off as you might think.

[Via The Register]

[Cory @ Mar 12th 2008 2:52PM]

The power level! It's over NINE THOUSAND... watts.

[Mike_NYC @ Mar 12th 2008 3:41PM]

"the final system configuration is on track for a full power system demonstration of 100kW by the end of 2008"

They plan on firing the full system with over 100kW of power this year!!!!

[Saint Dumb Ox @ Mar 13th 2008 9:34AM]

Mine still goes to 11.

[Tachikomatic @ Mar 12th 2008 2:54PM]

House full of popcorn anyone?

[hemmy @ Mar 12th 2008 3:53PM]

Lazlo was awesome.

[Miope @ Mar 12th 2008 5:20PM]

Wow! "Real Genius" isn't it?

[mark @ Mar 12th 2008 2:55PM]

JIGAWATTS!

seriously though, what exactly is "weapons grade"? Will this thing punch a hole through armor plating in a few seconds?

[fischju @ Mar 12th 2008 3:38PM]

It would be much more useful to shoot down tank and artillery ordinance mid-flight.


And attaching to sharks.

[ericisshort @ Mar 12th 2008 3:42PM]

whale sharks maybe... with a massive extension cord.

[Rick Person @ Mar 12th 2008 2:55PM]

I wonder if Mitch and Chris have anything to say about this?

[Hiro11 @ Mar 12th 2008 2:55PM]

Hollyfeld warned us about this...

[Jason @ Mar 12th 2008 2:55PM]

How do they dissipate the 12.7kW of waste heat?

I heard the JSF model uses the airplane's fuel to absorb the heat waste.

[Todd @ Mar 12th 2008 2:56PM]

Very cool but in order to generate enough electricity to shoot the thing you need a generator the size of a railroad locomotive engine...so much for mounting it on the head of a shark. :(

[fatandstupid @ Mar 12th 2008 3:03PM]

Don't you remember things way less in water. So maybe a shark can still be able to swim with it.

[Kamokazi @ Mar 12th 2008 3:07PM]

You're both thinking inside the box. We just need to genetically engineer larger sharks. It's a win-win!

[Mike_NYC @ Mar 12th 2008 3:35PM]

Megaladon!

[kal326 @ Mar 12th 2008 4:01PM]

@Kamokazi
Well if you are going to genetically engineer sharks to be larger, why not engineer them to produce electric current like an eel too? Though I have trouble thinking outside the box since I spend so much time thinking about box....

[G_White @ Mar 13th 2008 10:53AM]

Megaladon was awesome.

[Steve @ Mar 12th 2008 2:59PM]

It's great until somebody invents a weapons grade mirror...

[Joe @ Mar 12th 2008 3:10PM]

Not if we ALSO build a weapons grade mirror. Then we have the Mirror Arms War.

[shakman @ Mar 12th 2008 3:15PM]

The weapon mirrors war - bringing PONG! to life.

[FordGTGuy @ Mar 12th 2008 3:51PM]

The problem is that the lazer would have enough power to destroy the mirror in a few nano seconds.

[Richard @ Mar 12th 2008 3:58PM]

@FordGT Guy:

WOOOOOOOSH

[Kamokazi @ Mar 12th 2008 4:02PM]

Well, mirrors can be shattered by physical objects easily. So all we would have to do is invent some fancy physical object propulsion system. We could get a long tube, place an explosve charge in it, and then a small metal object in front of the charge, and then ignite the charge, hurtling the metal object towards the mirror and shattering it!

[IndiaTech @ Mar 12th 2008 5:02PM]

Putin to Bush:
My mirror is shinier than your mirror :P

[Joshua @ Mar 12th 2008 5:43PM]

"mirror mirror on the wall. Who has the bigger lazer of them all?"

[Loonie @ Mar 12th 2008 3:07PM]

I'm so glad we're continuing to make such great progress in devising ways of killing things.

[UKNigel @ Mar 12th 2008 4:14PM]

I was thinking more along the lines of self-defense, you could probably use these things to destroy missiles and things like that in mid-air.

[John P @ Mar 12th 2008 3:08PM]

I dont think this is meant as a mobile platform. Missile defense, or sitting atop a large naval destroyer would be a good area for this to go into. Though I'm sure one day we'll manage to make X Wings.

[andy @ Mar 12th 2008 3:11PM]

Sharks with friggin laser beams

[Mr Pedantic @ Mar 12th 2008 3:22PM]

technically its "frickin'" lasers

[aardvark sandwich @ Mar 12th 2008 3:16PM]

DSOTM lazer show!!!

[Kevin Fox @ Mar 12th 2008 3:24PM]

All you need is a tracking system and a large spinning mirror and you could vaporize a human target from space.

"Kent's tracking system is gone! How could you build that mirror?!"

[Lazlo @ Dec 18th 2008 1:02AM]

So what would you use that for?

Making an Arm of Swiss Cheese!

[Mel @ Mar 12th 2008 3:26PM]

I will technically not be happy till I see those things attached to Gundam units

[ScOObyDoo @ Mar 12th 2008 3:35PM]

Is it just me, or are they filing that multi billion dollar laser using a $100 VHS camcorder? Or is that a high speed camera disguised as a camcorder?

[OSnix*-geek @ Mar 12th 2008 3:46PM]

that's what I was thinking when I first saw it!

[KillerSiafu @ Mar 12th 2008 3:45PM]

Mini-me stop humping the laser!

[Datacide @ Mar 12th 2008 4:03PM]

Maybe I'm just weared out from coding to much at work, but besides the cool factor, what do we need laser defense for? Is it cheaper of something? Or because one day army men will need to blast alien spaceships out of the sky with a pen-sized device?

[phanbouy @ Mar 12th 2008 4:09PM]

no, because we'll be controlling giant robots with legs to shoot at giant flying robotic snakes that come invade our cave lairs. you also have to grimmace and yell quite a bit while you're doing this.

[jojo @ Mar 12th 2008 4:10PM]

Datacide, It's a lot cheaper and accurate than firing missiles. Since lasers travel at the speed of light, you can basically aim at an enemy's missile and fire without worrying about trajectory (ideally). There are high energy costs with each blast, but it's still magnitudes less than the money needed for even a single anti-ballistic missile.

[Ras Thavas @ Mar 12th 2008 4:22PM]

"December 20th, 2007, and actually exceeded all target requirements, including reaching a power of 15.3kW, a good deal above the 12.7kW"

Wow, 15.3kW and that is without hooking in the Oscillation Overthruster!

[blackfeather @ Mar 12th 2008 4:27PM]

How many "laser chains" do they have to combine to destroy a planet... such as, for sake of argument, Alderaan?

[Datacide @ Mar 12th 2008 5:23PM]

Do I predict a reverse Hitchhikers Guide happening?

[joe @ Mar 12th 2008 5:40PM]

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Tech/Beam/DeathStar.html

[blackfeather @ Mar 12th 2008 5:58PM]

That's the exact image I had in my head, Joe. Apparently since this laser can only run for 300 seconds at a time, we'd need something like 52.3e+24 of these lasers all chained together to generate the 2.4e+32 Joules necessary to destroy a planet. I think we can rest assured this won't happen soon.

[Enki @ Mar 12th 2008 4:40PM]

Maybe in the future we could use it to destroy Near Earth Objects?

[IndiaTech @ Mar 12th 2008 5:04PM]

Sooo... When are we blowing up Alderaan?

[QuakerProf @ Mar 12th 2008 5:14PM]

Pshew! Pshew! do-do-do-do! Pshew!

Will they make them in green for the good guys and red for the bad guys?

[thatwilsonguy @ Mar 12th 2008 7:44PM]

I just hope they have some failsafe to prevent someone from reversing the polarity.