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Lockheed’s New Laser Blasted A Hole In A Truck From A Mile Away

Giuseppe Macri Tech Editor
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Lockheed Martin just became the latest U.S. military asset to successfully demonstrate a high-powered laser weapon, which burned a hole through the engine manifold of a running truck in seconds during a recent test, the company announced Tuesday.

The Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) is a 30-kilowatt fiber laser weapon system capable of disabling mobile enemy targets from far away without harming those aboard or setting off any potential explosives.

In the recent field test against a small truck mounted on props with its engine running, the ATHENA was able to blast a hole through the hood and melt the engine manifold in seconds from a mile away, rendering the truck immobile.

The non-traditional laser works by combining “multiple fiber laser modules” to “form a single, powerful, high-quality beam that provides greater efficiency and lethality than multiple individual 10-kilowatt lasers used in other systems,” according to Lockheed.

“Fiber-optic lasers are revolutionizing directed energy systems,” Lockheed CTO Keoki Jackson said in a statement. “We are investing in every component of the system — from the optics and beam control to the laser itself — to drive size, weight and power efficiencies.”

“This test represents the next step to providing lightweight and rugged laser weapon systems for military aircraft, helicopters, ships and trucks.” (VIDEO: Watch The US Navy’s New Laser Weapon Take Out Two Ships)

Lockheed’s latest laser prototype is one among a number of futuristic weapons currently under development and deployment by the U.S. military, including a ship-mounted laser deployed for testing last year and a railgun unveiled last month. (RELATED: The US Navy’s New Railgun Can Fire Projectiles Up To Mach 7)

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