Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons

Abstract

DOD defines DE weapons as those using concentrated electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to "incapacitate, damage, disable, or destroy enemy equipment, facilities, and/or personnel." DE weapons include high-energy lasers (HEL) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons; other DE weapons, such as particle beam weapons, are outside the scope of this In Focus.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 20, 2021
Accession Number
AD1145136

Entities

People

  • John R. Hoehn
  • Kelley M . Sayler

Organizations

  • Congressional Research Service

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Congress
  • Directed Energy Weapons
  • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Energy
  • Guided Bombs
  • Guided Weapons
  • High Power Microwaves
  • High Powered Microwave Weapons
  • Military Operations
  • Particle Beam Weapons
  • Power Levels
  • United States
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Weapons

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy