The Office of Naval Research (ONR) wants to develop a solid-state laser weapon prototype that will demonstrate multi-mission capabilities aboard a Navy ship to help sailors defeat small boat threats and aerial weapons without using bullets, according to an ONR statement.
ONR will host an industry day May 16 to provide the research and development community with information about the program and a Broad Agency Announcement will be released thereafter to solicit proposals and bids, according to a statement.
“We believe it’s time to move forward with solid-state lasers and shift the focus from limited demonstrations to weapon prototype development and related technology advancement,” Peter Morrison, program officer of the Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) program, said in a statement.
The Navy has a history of advancing directed energy to yield kilowatt-scale lasers capable of being employed as weapons. The Maritime Laser Demonstration developed a proof-of-concept technology that was tested at sea aboard a decommissioned Navy ship, according to a statement. The demonstrator was able to disable a small boat target, according to a statement. Another program, the Laser Weapon System, demonstrated a similar ability to shoot down four small unmanned test aircraft, the statement added.