Weapons Technology

Abstract

The Weapons Technology program element develops and tests a high-powered directed energy laser to build the foundation of the next-generation laser system on a high altitude airborne platform. This laser system will be capable of acquiring, tracking and destroying an enemy missile at a much lower cost per kill than is possible with the existing Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The MDA's laser development investment, incrementally develops scalable, efficient, and compact high energy laser technology in the laboratory before beginning a high power laser flight test program. The technology required for tracking the target, aiming the laser, and building the flight demonstrator prototype is developed under the Technology Maturation Initiatives (TMI) program element (0604115C). The MDA collaborates with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office, and the Air Force in a systems engineering based strategy to research, develop and test Directed Energy weapons technology. Within Directed Energy Research MD69 MDA conducts research into the transmission and control of directed energy largely above the atmosphere for mid-term missile defense applications and, ultimately, boost phase intercepts. The MDA is pursuing promising laser technology in a competitive environment with Industry, supported by breakthrough research at the Nation's premier laboratories. The MDA will focus on Directed Energy technology development with the goal of scaling to power levels required for robust, speed of light missile defense. The MDA is developing a set of common core technology that will enable both missile defense and air dominance missions. These core technologies include fiber launchers; high brightness, high efficiency diode pump modules; and high power, high efficiency fiber amplifiers. In FY 2017, the MDA, the DARPA and the Air Force will complete a 30 kilowatt packaged FCL system at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory. The system consists of the laser, batteries and thermal device. In FY 2018, The MDA will upgrade the 30 kilowatt packaged FCL to a 50 kilowatt class Fiber Combined Laser (FCL) for demonstration in FY 2019. In FY 2017, the MDA will upgrade a Diode Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL) testbed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to conduct a 30 kilowatt demonstration with improved beam quality. The MDA will also complete a design review for a 120 kilowatt DPAL system. This effort is a prerequisite to conduct a 120 kilowatt laboratory demonstration in FY 2019, after which the MDA will evaluate the DPAL, FCL, and Industry laser systems to select the best approach to continue high power laser system development and fabrication. Each laser will demonstrate the technology necessary to scale the power to hundreds of kilowatts in order to enable the MDA path to boost phase intercept. The Agency will make technology investments in Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) for future BMD interceptors and kill vehicles. MD40 Program-Wide Support (PWS) consists of essential non-headquarters management efforts providing integrated and efficient support to MDA functions and activities across the entire BMDS.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2017
Source ID
0603178C_3_0400_PB_2017
Change Summary Explanation
The FY 2015 increase provided an added collaborative laser lethality demonstration using the 150 kiloWatt-class Demonstrator Laser Weapons System, and additional funding to maintain diode production for both the Diode Pumped Alkali Laser and Fiber Combining Laser. The FY 2016 and FY 2017 increase continues funding for Divert Attitude Control System.
Service Agency Name
Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

  • Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Amplifiers
  • Attitude Control Systems
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Boost Phase
  • Control Systems
  • Defense Systems
  • Directed Energy Weapons
  • Energy Systems
  • Engineering
  • High Altitude
  • High Energy Lasers
  • Lasers
  • Systems Engineering
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Beds

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy

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