Compared with traditional weapons, laser weapons have unique advantages such as speed, accuracy, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and high cost-effectiveness. They are regarded as future weapons that "change the rules of war", and their military application value has always been favored and valued by military powers. .
In January, Northrop Grumman disclosed the details of the "laser pointer Weapon System Verifier" project contract signed with the Naval Research Bureau, which was officially signed in October 2015. According to the contract, Northrop Grumman will develop a 150-kilowatt carrier-based laser weapon demonstration prototype for the Navy, which marks another important step taken by the Navy to the practical use of ship-based laser weapons.
The main situation of the laser weapon system verification machine project, the navy "laser weapon system verification machine" project will be implemented in three phases, lasting 34 months. The total value of the first phase of the contract is about 53 million U.S. dollars, and it is planned to be completed before October 2016, mainly to carry out the technical plan design work;
The second phase includes component, integration, and system-level tests, as well as risk reduction. Later in the second phase, ground tests will be carried out to verify the performance of the beam control system and the "tactical laser core module"; the third phase plans to develop a 150-kilowatt-level Laser weapon prototype with demonstration capability in the simulation environment. The Navy plans to install the laser prototype on a "self-defense test ship" in 2018 to carry out experiments to destroy fast attack boats, unmanned aerial vehicles, and photoelectric detectors.
After the technology is mature, the Navy plans to install the laser on the "Arleigh Burke" class guided missile destroyer "Arleigh Burke", which will have initial combat capabilities by 2025. Northrop Grumman confirmed that the "green laser pointer weapon system verification machine" will not use solid-state slab laser technology, but will choose a self-developed fiber laser solution, because fiber lasers have higher photoelectric conversion efficiency.