Feasibility of High Energy Lasers for Interdiction Activities
Abstract
One of the greatest threats to Peru as a nation is the increasing amount of illicit activities in recent years. Among them all, drug trafficking causes the most damage within and outside of Perus borders. Therefore, interdiction of these activities is paramount for the Peruvian Navy, since this institution is responsible for all the bodies of water where Peru has jurisdiction. There are multiple ways to perform interdiction, but few of them can be done without damaging the people or cargo. High Energy Laser (HEL) weapons are an effective way to deliver energy precisely from a relative long range. This thesis studies the feasibility of the usage of this kind of weapon, fired from a surface or an unmanned aerial vehicle platform, against the water crafts that are used to deliver the illicit material from the Peruvian coast to a ship waiting offshore. Specifically, dwell times will be estimated to melt through vulnerable spots in the target for different HEL configurations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1053440
Entities
People
- Carlos A Romero
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School