Directed Energy Research
Abstract
The MDA mission is to develop a robust system to defend the United States against ballistic missile attacks at all ranges, in all phases of flight. Negating a ballistic missile in boost phase, before a threat missile can spawn countermeasures, will revolutionize missile defense by dramatically reducing the role of interceptors. In FY 2010, the Airborne Laser program proved we could acquire, track and destroy a boosting missile, addressing many aspects of the boost phase kill, but also underscored the complexity and challenges of fielding such a weapon system. The experience we gained from that successful first foray into directed energy system is pointing us along a new path that integrate a highly efficient, compact electric laser into a high altitude, low Mach Unmanned Aerial Vehicle capable of flying in the stratosphere above the clouds, which diffuse the laser energy. Flying at low speed in relatively calm air at 60,000 feet significantly reduces the complex beam pointing and atmospheric jitter compensation systems that were significant challenges on the Airborne Laser. The key to realizing this future high altitude, unmanned directed energy system is the laser. With these lessons learned and breakthrough research at our nation's premier scientific laboratories, the MDA is implementing an incremental roadmap that will prove high power laser technology is ready to execute Missile Defense missions by 2022. This roadmap jointly develops with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Air Force a set of core technologies common to both Air Force and missile defense missions; including fiber launchers; high brightness, high efficiency diode pump modules; and high power, high efficiency fiber amplifiers. The Directed Energy Research project funds the laboratory development of two high energy laser technologies, the Diode Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL) with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a Fiber Combined Laser (FCL) with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory. Both laser technologies have considerable promise for scaling to very high average power while simultaneously achieving high system electrical-to-optical efficiencies, exceeding 40 percent, and very low system weight and volume. However, each technology takes a unique approach to attaining high power. The DPAL scales in power by increasing the size of a single laser gain cell. This approach has the benefit of simplicity of design but must address very high energy levels within the single cell. Livermore successfully demonstrated over 10 kilowatts in FY 2015; will demonstrate 30 kilowatts in FY 2017 and scale the system to 120 kilowatts in FY 2019 to address energy scaling. The FCL scales in power by combining multiple individual fiber amplifiers. MDA's key fiber laser investments are targeted at driving the weight per kilowatt of power in the fiber amplifier system down while increasing the individual fiber amplifier power output. MDA joined with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Air Force to demonstrate 44 kilowatts in a room-sized, 40 kilogram per kilowatt configuration in FY 2015, to a packaged 7 kilograms per kilowatt 30 kilowatt system in FY 2017, and increase the compactness and power to a 5 kilogram per kilowatt 50 kilowatt system in FY 2018. The MDA strategy is to reduce technical risk through dual path laboratory development and transition the laboratory development to industry for high altitude unmanned platform integration and test. In FY 2018, the MDA will conduct multiple industry laser studies to investigate high power scaling and technology readiness. In FY 2019, the MDA will select the best available high energy laser technology from the National Laboratories and/or Industry and develop a prototype 300 kilowatt-class laser system by 2022.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2017
- Source ID
- MD69_0603178C_3_0400_PB_2017
Related Documents
- Root: Weapons Technology
- Child Accomplishment: Directed Energy Research