High Energy Laser Development
Abstract
This program funds Department of Defense Directed Energy applied research through the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office. This program is part of an overall Department of Defense Directed Energy Science and Technology program. DE weapons systems have many potential advantages, including speed-of-light time-to-target, high precision, low incremental cost per kill, and a magazine that is recharged through on-board, fuel-based power and thermal management systems that reduce logistics requirements in contrast to stocks of munitions or warheads. Directed Energy weapon systems have the potential to perform a wide variety of military missions, including high value asset and base protection, precision strike and platform self-protection versus a wide variety of missile, rocket, artillery, mortar and air platforms. Efforts under this program are generally chosen for their potential to have an impact on multiple Directed Energy weapon systems and multiple Service missions while complementing Service efforts that are directed for specific service needs. A broad range of technologies are addressed in key areas, such as laser sources, microwave sources, laser beam control, antennas, waveguides, modeling and simulation, and lethality mechanisms. This program provides the enabling technology necessary to demonstrate advanced concepts for high power microwave (HPM) sources, antennas and waveguides for mission areas not considered to date. The high power microwave lethality, hardware and software improvements and modeling and simulation advances provided by this program are essential to expand and build upon current architectures. Efforts in this program have been coordinated through the Department of Defense Science and Technology Executive Committee process to harmonize efforts and eliminate duplication. This program is in Budget Activity 2, Applied Research, because this budget activity includes studies, investigations, and component and subsystem design and development to further the knowledge base of Directed Energy technologies and enable future defense capabilities to be realized by the Services.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2024
- Source ID
- 890_0602890D8Z_2_0400_PB_2024
Related Documents
- Root: High Energy Laser Development
- Child Accomplishment: Directed Energy Applied Research