Excalibur*
Abstract
* Formerly Adaptive Photonic Phased Locked Elements (APPLE). The Excalibur program will develop high-power electronically-steerable optical arrays, with each array element powered by a fiber laser amplifier. These fiber-laser arrays will be sufficiently lightweight, compact, and electrically efficient to be fielded on a variety of platforms with minimal impact on the platform's original mission capabilities. Each array element will possess an adaptive-optic capability to minimize beam divergence in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, together with wide-field-of-view beam steering for target tracking. With each Excalibur array element powered by a high power fiber laser amplifier (at up to 3 kilowatts per amplifier), high power air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements will be enabled that were previously infeasible because of laser system size and weight. In addition, this program will also develop kilowatt-class arrays of diode lasers that will provide the higher spatial and temporal bandwidths needed to correct for the increased air turbulence effects encountered in ground-to-ground engagements. Excalibur arrays will be conformal to aircraft surfaces and scalable in size and power by adding additional elements to the array. By defending airborne platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles against proliferated, deployed and next-generation man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), Excalibur will enable these reconnaissance platforms to fly at lower altitude and obtain truly persistent, all-weather ground reconnaissance despite low-lying cloud cover. Further capabilities include multi-channel laser communications, target identification, tracking, designation, precision defeat with minimal collateral effects as well as other applications. This technology will transition via industry. In the Excalibur program, efficient high-power laser amplifier arrays based on coherent or spectral beam-combining will be developed. The potential of these arrays to scale to tactical power levels (100 kW class) will be investigated as well as near-term options for low-altitude self defense against MANPADS. These laser amplifier arrays will be designed to work in tandem with the core laser components developed under the Excalibur program in PE 0602702E, Project TT-06.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2012
- Source ID
- 9aad7a78b63d330246dfc6cdd96d4a9f