The underwing-mounted pod features a 25-kilowatt distributed gain laser and an ultra-high power density battery. According to General Atomics, the system is scalable up to 300 kilowatts in both pulsed and continuous wave configurations.
According to Naval News, the system’s large optical aperture and efficient cooling offers significant reductions in size and weight to suit air, land and sea-based platforms. Naval News further reported that the system falls within the “25 kilowatt power class.”
The laser uses distributed gain technology, which employs multiple dispersed gain mediums to amplify light. This eliminates the need for combining separate laser beams, a limitation present in fibre laser systems.
A key advantage of this approach is the reduced burden on the aircraft. Traditional laser weapons require bulky cooling systems due to heat generated by larger gain mediums, but General Atomics’ system minimises this requirement, enabling easier integration on airborne systems. The system will put less pressure on an aircraft compared to other laser technologies.
General Atomics has prior experience with distributed gain laser technology. In 2021, it teamed up with Boeing to demonstrate a 300-kilowatt-class solid-state laser weapon system under contract with the US Army.
In 2022, the company also demonstrated the Laser Airborne Communication-12 Terminal, an air-to-air laser communication system. This capability can be configured as a podded solution for various drones, including the MQ-9A Reaper, MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian, and MQ-1C Gray Eagle 25M.
