Lockheed Martin successfully completed factory acceptance testing for the Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL), in preparation for U.S. military ground and flight testing of the system. Lockheed Martin delivered the AHEL subsystem for integration with other systems in preparation for ground testing and ultimately flight testing aboard the AC-130J aircraft. In January 2019, Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract for integration, test and demonstration on the AC-130J aircraft and is on a rapid schedule to continue testing this capability.
“Completion of this milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for our customer,” said Rick Cordaro, vice president, Lockheed Martin Advanced Product Solutions. “These mission success milestones are a testament of our partnership with the U.S. Air Force in rapidly achieving important advances in laser weapon system development. Our technology is ready for fielding today.”
In July 2021, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division awarded Lockheed Martin a $12 million cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery, five-year contract award for technical services, integration, test, and demonstration for the AHEL system. Laser weapons provide the advantages of speed, flexibility, precision, and lower cost per engagement that are only possible with lasers.Directed Energy operates as a force multiplier, enabling the warfighter to counter a growing range of emerging threats.
For 40 years, Lockheed Martin has researched, designed, developed, and captured electromagnetic energy and elevated its power to create innovative Directed Energy solutions. We have developed laser weapon systems, radio frequency and other directed energy technologies for air, ground and sea platforms to provide an affordable countermeasure alternative. We are addressing critical needs such as accuracy, mobility, size, weight and power (SWaP), cooling, and minimal collateral damage.