Directed Energy: A Look to the Future
Abstract
It is incumbent upon every Air Force officer to support the current fight; however, senior leaders, especially those on the Air Staff, must prepare the Air Force to take the fight into the next decade and even the next half century. As technologies mature, we continually assess their impact and enable our forces to embrace the capabilities they offer, all the while readying ourselves for any vulnerability they create when exploited by our foes. At a minimum, directed energy (DE) will be a game changer, but it has the potential to create a revolution in military affairs. In anticipation of what I believe will prove an integral part of our force-application capabilities within 10-20 years, I wish to arm the readers of this journal with some important information. To begin, I outline where DE technologies are today, followed by a review of four programs critical to the Air Force: the Airborne Laser (ABL), the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL), the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP), and the Active Denial System (ADS). I then review the vulnerabilities we face and discuss the challenges to fielding these systems. I conclude by addressing the efforts we are undertaking as an Air Force to prepare for the arrival of DE weapons in air, space, and cyberspace.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA597558
Entities
People
- David L. Robie
- David W Scott