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Recent releases of previously classified information is now giving us exciting looks into the future beam weapons under consideration, or in some cases, under construction.
We have also taken a little time to dig up some interesting white papers on the subject of lasers and their relationship to space based weaponry from the U.S. Air Force's War College (Occasional Papers) section:
MILNET presents a summary of current information on these:
Lasers in Research
Other Energy Experiments of Interest
1 "Team ABL",Boeing datasheet distributed at the Air Force 50th anniversary trade show, March, 1996, Las Vegas, Nevada., Boeing Defense & Space Group, P.O. Box 3999, MS MC-98, Seattle, WA, 98124-2499 Aeronautics,
2 Sabers of Light, Popular Science Magazine, September 1997, pages 68-72., Mark Farmer and Frank Vizard, Copyright 1997. Popular Science, 2 Park Ave., New York, N.Y., 10016.
3 Defense at the Speed of Light, Air Force Magazine,
November 1997, Copyright 1997, the Air Force Association, 1501 Lee
Highway, Arlington, VA. 22209-1198.
4 Radio Frequency Weapons Technology, Manuel Cereijo, May, 2001
5 Stavatti - TIS 1 Specification (PDF:127 KB) (a plasma pulse weapon with "rounds" that attack at about Mach 5) (MILNET Mirror)
03/02/2007:
A report written by John McHale, for Sander
Research highlights a number of high energy laser projects in the
works, moving the use of lasers for military applications from the
theoretical to practical stages.
| Program
Name |
Description |
Progress |
| Joint High-Power Solid-State
Laser -- JHPSSL A |
Technology Program intended to
"incorporate high-energy laser systems across all services, including
ships, manned and unmanned aircraft, and ground vehicles" A "The initial goal is to develop a solid-state laser weapon capable of generating 100,000 watts, or 100 kilowatts." Northrop Grumman Corp. was awarded the $56.7 million prime contract for the Pentagon's major solid-state laser weapon push, the Joint High Power Solid-State Laser program. B |
? |
| Tactical High-Energy Laser Utility Study -- THELUS A | Simulation study that pits
fighter pilots against overwhelming odds, then adds the capability of a
DEW (Directed Energy Weapon) to the mix. "To determine the DEW’s
effects on the mission, the researchers altered
two distinct characteristics of the DEW throughout the test scenarios,
changing the maximum sensor range (which determines how far pilots can
see with the DEW) and the thermal budget (which determines how long
pilots can fire continuously)." The study is under the auspices
of the Tactical
High Energy Laser -- THEL -- program. |
shows DEW enabled aircraft have
a much higher survivability rate. |
| Airborne Laser -- ABL A |
Designed to attack ballistic
missiles in the boost phase, destroying them over the agressors own
land, using an extremely high powered laser mounted in a highly
modified Boeing 747-400F airframe with nose turrent and two smaller
lasers for aiming and determining atmospheric conditions on the beam.
The attacking laser is a chemical laser which has been tested on the
ground at attack levels and for durations required in order to deliver
its knockout punch. |
Aircraft began flight testing in
2006, while ground testing of the full power laser has been
completed. Optics for the full power weapon have also been tested
and are being readied for a full power flight firing. Surrogate
solid state lasers are scheduled for initial flight testing of the
guidance, tracking, and metrics on board the aircraft, and later the
"real deal" will be added for full up system testing. |
| Advanced Tactical Laser -- ATL A |
An Army laser gunship project
which uses a extremely high power chemical laser to attack targets on
the battlefield. The current aircraft chosen is a C-130
(the AC-130 gunship perhaps?) using a firing bubble on the underside of
the aircraft, and in which the beam director can be used to illuminate
any targets visible and within range of the laser's lethal
radius. The precision of the battlefield system is expected to be
able to attack specific areas on targeted vehicles or facilities --
making it possible to shoot out a tire to immobilize or target the gas
tank to create an explosion and destroy the vehicle. Development
is through an Army ACTD (Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration)
program. |
Flight testing has begun, and
will shortly use a surrogate solid state laser to test the support
systems prior to flight tests with the full up attack laser |
| Skyguard A | System from Northrup-Grumman
that proposes a "laser-based air defense system for U.S. government
agencies and allies
that require near-term defense against short-range ballistic missiles,
short- and long-range rockets, artillery shells, mortars, unmanned
aerial vehicles and cruise missiles.." It is based upon the
successful Tactical
High Energy Laser -- THEL -- prototype. The new system
will
provide more power and in half the size of the previous test bed.
The new system will be moved in three 20X8 foot containers and setup
within hours. THEL has been in continous use since its
development shots in 1990. "“This test bed has been remarkably
successful. To date, it has shot
down dozens of live threats, including long- and short-range rockets,
mortars, and artillery projectiles, in very realistic attack scenarios,
and under simulated operational conditions such as surprise attacks and
mixed threats." THEL was derived from a FY96 Advanced Concept
Technology Development (ACTD)
program. |
Early development, no details on
actual testing, however makes use of technology derived from the THEL
program, perhaps giving it a boosted time to field development time. |
| Laser Area Defense System -- LADS B |
A losing bid has not dettered
Raytheon from continiuing the program, the company betting the
technology is quite viable and will result in future technology
improvements that will make for a winning bid in the future. LADS
uses a solid state laser adapted to the PHALANX
ship board ship's
defense system, "We
already know our Phalanx system can see something the size of a
mortar and track it". "LADS could compete with "C-RAM" — Counter Rocket, Artillery Mortar — systems designed to track and destroy incoming projectiles with explosive bullets, said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org. "The problem is, when the bullets go up, they tend to come down," possibly endangering troops or civilians, Pike said." |
Has "detonated
stationary 60 mm mortars at a range of more than 550 yards in recent
ground testing" "Raytheon developed the LADS on its own dime in six months, using "an existing, off-the-shelf solid-state laser, coupled with commercially available optics technology" |
The material for this table was taken from
two very excellent reports: