A technique for obtaining a pulse‐periodic operating mode of high‐power wide‐aperture lasers was put forward and experimentally realised. In this mode, the laser radiation is a sequence of pulses with a duration of 0.1–1 &mgr;s and a pulse repetition rate of several tens of kilohertz. The main relationships of the pulsed mode were theoretically analysed and the proposed technique was subjected to a comprehensive testing employing a test‐bench gas‐dynamic laser, which confirmed the conclusions of the theoretical analysis. The possibility of realising a pulse‐periodic mode in high‐power wide‐aperture lasers without a sacrifice in average output power was experimentally demonstrated. © 2004 American Institute of Physics