Powerful enough to shoot through steel and take down drones.
After announcing the development of a mach 6 capable aircraft, Lockheed Martin is now making strides in developing laser weaponry.
According to a press release from the security and advanced technologies company, it’s not even a matter of availability, but how quickly it can be integrated into current defense and military platforms.
In fact, when asked how quickly they can deliver a laser weapon system, if an organization like the Pentagon asked for one today, the team from Lockheed Martin unanimously agreed they could immediately produce a viable weapon for fielding.
Just how powerful is this laser, you ask?
From a full-on Star Wars space battle to a laser pointer, Lockheed Martin’s ATHENA (Advanced Test High Energy Asset) is an extremely versatile science project.
Although limited to a 15 – 30 KW scale, Shattuck says it can still bore a hole through a two inch piece of steel in seconds. At its current strength, it’s powerful enough to shoot down a drone or disable a truck’s engine from over a mile away.