Boeing completes FEL weapon system design for US Navy
The Company, which was awarded a $163 mn contract to design the Free Electron Laser weapon systems, completes its initial designing.
Caption: An artistic conception of a naval ship using laser weapon system.
Credit 10
Credit 10
ALBUQUERQUE, USA (BNS): The preliminary design of the Free Electron Laser (FEL) weapon system, being developed for the US Navy by Boeing Company, has been completed and a prototype of the weapon system would be designed for sea tests.
The design of the FEL was presented before the US Government officials and National Laboratory representatives between March 9 and 11, Boeing said.
"The Free Electron Laser will use a ship's electrical power to create, in effect, unlimited ammunition and provide the ultra-precise, speed-of-light capability required to defend US naval forces against emerging threats, such as hyper-velocity cruise missiles," Gary Fitzmire, vice president and programme director of Boeing Directed Energy Systems, said.
"The successful completion of this preliminary design review is an important milestone in developing a weapon system that will transform naval warfare," he said.
Boeing is developing the FEL systems under a $163 million contract awarded by the US Navy in April, 2009.
The weapon system is being designed to empower naval ships with an ultra-precise, swift mechanism to defend themselves against challenging threats like hyper-velocity cruise missiles.
The electric laser will operate by passing a beam of high-energy electrons through a series of powerful magnetic fields, thereby generating an intense emission of laser light that can disable or destroy targets.
The design of the FEL was presented before the US Government officials and National Laboratory representatives between March 9 and 11, Boeing said.
"The Free Electron Laser will use a ship's electrical power to create, in effect, unlimited ammunition and provide the ultra-precise, speed-of-light capability required to defend US naval forces against emerging threats, such as hyper-velocity cruise missiles," Gary Fitzmire, vice president and programme director of Boeing Directed Energy Systems, said.
"The successful completion of this preliminary design review is an important milestone in developing a weapon system that will transform naval warfare," he said.
Boeing is developing the FEL systems under a $163 million contract awarded by the US Navy in April, 2009.
The weapon system is being designed to empower naval ships with an ultra-precise, swift mechanism to defend themselves against challenging threats like hyper-velocity cruise missiles.
The electric laser will operate by passing a beam of high-energy electrons through a series of powerful magnetic fields, thereby generating an intense emission of laser light that can disable or destroy targets.
