Excalibur
Abstract
The Excalibur program developed high-power electronically-steerable optical arrays, with each array element powered by a fiber laser amplifier. These fiber-laser arrays are 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 possesses 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 high power fiber laser amplifiers (at up to 3 kilowatts (kW) per amplifier), high power air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements have been enabled that were previously infeasible because of laser system size and weight. In addition, this program developed kilowatt-class arrays of diode lasers which provided an alternate route to efficiently reaching mission-relevant power levels, and they tested the ultimate scalability of the optical phased array architecture. Excalibur arrays are conformal to aircraft surfaces and scalable in size and power by adding additional elements to the array. Excalibur provided the technology foundation for defense of next generation airborne platforms, including all aircraft flying at altitudes below 50,000 ft, against proliferated, deployed, and next-generation man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and more capable air-to-air missiles converted for use as ground-to-air missiles. Excalibur technology will enable these platforms to fly at lower altitude and conduct truly persistent, all-weather ground missions, such as reconnaissance despite low-lying cloud cover. Further capabilities may include multichannel laser communications, target identification, tracking, designation, precision defeat with minimal collateral effects as well as other applications. The Excalibur program also developed efficient high-power laser amplifier arrays based on coherent or spectral beam-combining. The potential of these arrays to scale to tactical power levels (100 kilowatt class) was also investigated. These laser amplifier arrays were designed to work in tandem with the core laser components developed under the Excalibur program in PE 0602702E, Project TT-06. In addition a conceptual design and CONOPS development for a High Energy Laser Counter Measure (HELCM) system were developed to enable a near-term capability for low-altitude self-defense against MANPADS. This technology will transition via industry, and will be incorporated into the Endurance program discussed earlier in this project (MT-15).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- e76cec587952d5ec27aced633e397254