Posted on Dec 28, 2016
Congress gets serious about laser weapons in defense bill
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The U.S. military is set to see a 51 percent increase in funding to develop and procure laser weapons, a technologically-advanced "game-changer" as troops prepare for new and growing asymmetric threats around the world.
The 2017 defense bill signed last week by President Obama authorized roughly $328 million for the development and procurement of these weapons. That's a 51 percent increase from 2016 spending levels. Lawmakers cited the progress made by the Defense Department as a key reason for the boost.
“The Department of Defense has made significant advances in the development and operational demonstration of directed-energy weapons systems," according to the bill. "Each military department has demonstrated a marquee program in this area, such as the Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) deployed on the USS Ponce, the Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL-MD), and the Marine Corps’ Ground Based Air Defense System (GBAD)."
Laser weapons continue "to offer promise as a transformational 'game changer' as the DoD encounters new asymmetric and disruptive threats while facing increasingly sophisticated traditional challenges,” a government task force on directed-energy weapons reported.
And the need for mobile ground-based air defense systems for ground forces goes beyond the increasing technological capabilities of Russia and China. It also targets the growing threat and proliferation of drone use by terrorist and non-state actor groups.
Just this October, U.S. troops were faced with threats of exploding drones operated by ISIS fighters besieged in Mosul; and in August, video surfaced of attack drones being operated by the Iranian proxy militia, Hezbollah in Syria.
To prepare for the growing challenges faced by U.S. forces, such as the proliferation of drone technology, ballistic missile systems and small boat threats to U.S. and allied vessels, each military service is developing laser weapon systems.
With U.S. forces operating in highly dense civilian populations, the ability to discriminate enemy targets becomes a must, and "laser systems enable precision ground attack to minimize collateral damage in urban conflicts and in close proximity to friendly troops," the Defense Task Force on Directed Energy Weapons reported.
Laser weapon systems also have advantages over conventional munitions. Because lasers fire at the speed of light, enemy targets can't avoid it. Lasers make no sound when fired and can't be seen with the naked eye, allowing the operator of the weapon system to remain concealed through out the operation.
Despite the costs of research to develop directed-energy weapons, once completed, the cost to fire a single round will be reduced to the energy it produces. This also simplifies logistics chains, allows ships to remain at sea for longer duration, and limits the amount of ground and air resupply operations to ground forces. In the long run, that also translates into reduced costs for expeditionary forces, as the need to store and maintain heavy dangerous explosive ordinance is lowered.
In December 2014, the Navy successfully tested its LaWS system against a series of small boats and drone aircraft. Shortly thereafter, that system was declared operational for use in the Persian Gulf, with future plans to mount the system on the Navy’s Zumwalt destroyer.
The Army’s HEL-MD, or smaller truck mounted version the High Energy Mobile Laser Test Truck, is still undergoing testing. As of 2014, the HEL-MD successfully shot down a 22- to 55-pound Class 2 drone during a test at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
The Marines’ variant of the HEL-MD is the GBAD, a laser defense system designed to shoot down incoming enemy drones and aircraft. Currently, the program is entering phase two out of three phases — graduating from firing a 30-kilowatt laser while immobile to firing while on the go. The program is expected to be completed by 2022.
Also included in the defense legislation is a provision requiring the Pentagon to designate a senior official within the Defense Department “as the official with principal responsibility for the development and demonstration of directed energy weapons for the Department,” the bill stipulates.
The bill also sets aside $25 million for bilateral cooperation with Israel on the development and procurement of directed-energy weapons systems designed to detect and defeat ballistic or cruise missiles, upon the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two countries.
The increase in spending in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 on laser weapon research and procurement highlights that Congress is getting more serious about the need for directed-energy weapons, while also recognizing the advances the defense industry has made in the development of the futuristic weapon.
However, the authorization bill sets defense policy and spending priorities for the current fiscal year. It does not actually assign the money for those initiatives. The appropriations process, which distributes the money, has been stalled on Capitol Hill for months.
The 2017 defense bill signed last week by President Obama authorized roughly $328 million for the development and procurement of these weapons. That's a 51 percent increase from 2016 spending levels. Lawmakers cited the progress made by the Defense Department as a key reason for the boost.
“The Department of Defense has made significant advances in the development and operational demonstration of directed-energy weapons systems," according to the bill. "Each military department has demonstrated a marquee program in this area, such as the Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) deployed on the USS Ponce, the Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL-MD), and the Marine Corps’ Ground Based Air Defense System (GBAD)."
Laser weapons continue "to offer promise as a transformational 'game changer' as the DoD encounters new asymmetric and disruptive threats while facing increasingly sophisticated traditional challenges,” a government task force on directed-energy weapons reported.
And the need for mobile ground-based air defense systems for ground forces goes beyond the increasing technological capabilities of Russia and China. It also targets the growing threat and proliferation of drone use by terrorist and non-state actor groups.
Just this October, U.S. troops were faced with threats of exploding drones operated by ISIS fighters besieged in Mosul; and in August, video surfaced of attack drones being operated by the Iranian proxy militia, Hezbollah in Syria.
To prepare for the growing challenges faced by U.S. forces, such as the proliferation of drone technology, ballistic missile systems and small boat threats to U.S. and allied vessels, each military service is developing laser weapon systems.
With U.S. forces operating in highly dense civilian populations, the ability to discriminate enemy targets becomes a must, and "laser systems enable precision ground attack to minimize collateral damage in urban conflicts and in close proximity to friendly troops," the Defense Task Force on Directed Energy Weapons reported.
Laser weapon systems also have advantages over conventional munitions. Because lasers fire at the speed of light, enemy targets can't avoid it. Lasers make no sound when fired and can't be seen with the naked eye, allowing the operator of the weapon system to remain concealed through out the operation.
Despite the costs of research to develop directed-energy weapons, once completed, the cost to fire a single round will be reduced to the energy it produces. This also simplifies logistics chains, allows ships to remain at sea for longer duration, and limits the amount of ground and air resupply operations to ground forces. In the long run, that also translates into reduced costs for expeditionary forces, as the need to store and maintain heavy dangerous explosive ordinance is lowered.
In December 2014, the Navy successfully tested its LaWS system against a series of small boats and drone aircraft. Shortly thereafter, that system was declared operational for use in the Persian Gulf, with future plans to mount the system on the Navy’s Zumwalt destroyer.
The Army’s HEL-MD, or smaller truck mounted version the High Energy Mobile Laser Test Truck, is still undergoing testing. As of 2014, the HEL-MD successfully shot down a 22- to 55-pound Class 2 drone during a test at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
The Marines’ variant of the HEL-MD is the GBAD, a laser defense system designed to shoot down incoming enemy drones and aircraft. Currently, the program is entering phase two out of three phases — graduating from firing a 30-kilowatt laser while immobile to firing while on the go. The program is expected to be completed by 2022.
Also included in the defense legislation is a provision requiring the Pentagon to designate a senior official within the Defense Department “as the official with principal responsibility for the development and demonstration of directed energy weapons for the Department,” the bill stipulates.
The bill also sets aside $25 million for bilateral cooperation with Israel on the development and procurement of directed-energy weapons systems designed to detect and defeat ballistic or cruise missiles, upon the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two countries.
The increase in spending in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 on laser weapon research and procurement highlights that Congress is getting more serious about the need for directed-energy weapons, while also recognizing the advances the defense industry has made in the development of the futuristic weapon.
However, the authorization bill sets defense policy and spending priorities for the current fiscal year. It does not actually assign the money for those initiatives. The appropriations process, which distributes the money, has been stalled on Capitol Hill for months.
Congress gets serious about laser weapons in defense bill
Posted from militarytimes.com
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Thanks for letting us know SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL that the 2017 NDAA has increased funding by 51 percent increase from 2016 spending levels for procurement of laser weapons. I certainly hope that sustainment funding is part of the authorization and subsequent appropriation bills.
I understand that the Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) deployed on the USS Ponce, the Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL-MD), and the Marine Corps’ Ground Based Air Defense System (GBAD) seem to be those Military Services showcase weapon systems.
I am amused to see the Navy's LaWS is slightly different than the LAW [M-72 should fired light anti-tank weapon from days gone by].
It is noteworthy that the USAF and SOCOM laser programs have been omitted from this summary. The USAF has been working for some time on adding laser weapons to fighter aircraft
"The Air Force is increasing computer simulations and virtual testing for its laser-weapons program to accelerate development and prepare plans to arm fighter jets and other platforms by the early 2020s.
To help model the effects of such technologies, the service has awarded Stellar Science a five-year, $7 million contract for advanced laser modeling and simulation.
The Albuquerque-based company is expected to continue the work started in 2014, when the Air Force tapped the group to develop computer simulations and virtual testing of directed energy weapons.
Aircraft-launched laser weapons could eventually be engineered for a wide range of potential uses, including air-to-air combat, close air support, counter-UAS(drone), counter-boat, ground attack and even missile defense, officials said.
Lasers use intense heat and light energy to incinerate targets without causing a large explosion, and they operate at very high speeds, giving them a near instantaneous ability to destroy fast-moving targets and defend against incoming enemy attacks, senior Air Force leaders explained.
Low cost is another key advantage of laser weapons, as they can prevent the need for high-cost missiles in many combat scenarios.
Air Force Research Laboratory officials have said they plan to have a program of record for air-fired laser weapons in place by 2023.
Ground testing of a laser weapon called the High Energy Laser, or HEL, took place last year at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The High Energy Laser test is being conducted by the Air Force Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.
The first airborne tests are expected to take place by 2021, Air Force officials said.
The developmental efforts are focused on increasing the power, precision and guidance of existing laser weapon applications with the hope of moving from 10-kilowatts up to 100 kilowatts, Air Force officials said.
Service scientists have explained that much of the needed development involves engineering the size weight and power trades on an aircraft needed to accommodate an on-board laser weapon. Developing a mobile power source small enough to integrate into a fast-moving fighter jet remains a challenge for laser technology.
Air Force leaders have said that the service plans to begin firing laser weapons from larger platforms such as C-17s and C-130s until the technological miniaturization efforts can configure the weapon to fire from fighter jets such as an F-15, F-16 or F-35.
Air Combat Command has commissioned the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator Advanced Technology Demonstration which will be focused on developing and integrating a more compact, medium-power laser weapon system onto a fighter-compatible pod for self-defense against ground-to-air and air-to-air weapons, a service statement said.
Air Force Special Operations Command has commissioned both the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren to examine placing a laser on an AC-130U gunship to provide an offensive capability.
Another advantage of lasers is an ability to use a much more extended magazine for weapons. Instead of flying with six or seven missiles on or in an aircraft, a directed energy weapon system could fire thousands of shots using a single gallon of jet fuel, Air Force experts said.
According to Stellar Science, “The goal of this research project was to compute the three-dimensional (3D) shape and orientation of a satellite from two-dimensional (2D) images of it.”
Stellar Science possesses expertise in scientific, computer-aided modeling and 3D-shape reconstruction, as well as radio-frequency manipulation and laser physics.
Officials throughout the Department of Defense are optimistic about beam weapons and, more generally, directed-energy technologies.
Laser weapons could be used for ballistic missile defense as well. Vice Adm. James Syring, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, said during the 2017 fiscal year budget discussion that “Laser technology maturation is critical for us.”
And the U.S. Navy recently announced that their destroyers and cruisers will possess these systems to help ships fend off drones and missiles."
https://defensesystems.com/articles/2016/12/12/lasers.aspx
SP5 Mark Kuzinski TSgt Joe C. LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSgt (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) SGT Forrest Stewart SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Tom Brown SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SGT Robert George PO2 Ed C.
I understand that the Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) deployed on the USS Ponce, the Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL-MD), and the Marine Corps’ Ground Based Air Defense System (GBAD) seem to be those Military Services showcase weapon systems.
I am amused to see the Navy's LaWS is slightly different than the LAW [M-72 should fired light anti-tank weapon from days gone by].
It is noteworthy that the USAF and SOCOM laser programs have been omitted from this summary. The USAF has been working for some time on adding laser weapons to fighter aircraft
"The Air Force is increasing computer simulations and virtual testing for its laser-weapons program to accelerate development and prepare plans to arm fighter jets and other platforms by the early 2020s.
To help model the effects of such technologies, the service has awarded Stellar Science a five-year, $7 million contract for advanced laser modeling and simulation.
The Albuquerque-based company is expected to continue the work started in 2014, when the Air Force tapped the group to develop computer simulations and virtual testing of directed energy weapons.
Aircraft-launched laser weapons could eventually be engineered for a wide range of potential uses, including air-to-air combat, close air support, counter-UAS(drone), counter-boat, ground attack and even missile defense, officials said.
Lasers use intense heat and light energy to incinerate targets without causing a large explosion, and they operate at very high speeds, giving them a near instantaneous ability to destroy fast-moving targets and defend against incoming enemy attacks, senior Air Force leaders explained.
Low cost is another key advantage of laser weapons, as they can prevent the need for high-cost missiles in many combat scenarios.
Air Force Research Laboratory officials have said they plan to have a program of record for air-fired laser weapons in place by 2023.
Ground testing of a laser weapon called the High Energy Laser, or HEL, took place last year at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The High Energy Laser test is being conducted by the Air Force Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.
The first airborne tests are expected to take place by 2021, Air Force officials said.
The developmental efforts are focused on increasing the power, precision and guidance of existing laser weapon applications with the hope of moving from 10-kilowatts up to 100 kilowatts, Air Force officials said.
Service scientists have explained that much of the needed development involves engineering the size weight and power trades on an aircraft needed to accommodate an on-board laser weapon. Developing a mobile power source small enough to integrate into a fast-moving fighter jet remains a challenge for laser technology.
Air Force leaders have said that the service plans to begin firing laser weapons from larger platforms such as C-17s and C-130s until the technological miniaturization efforts can configure the weapon to fire from fighter jets such as an F-15, F-16 or F-35.
Air Combat Command has commissioned the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator Advanced Technology Demonstration which will be focused on developing and integrating a more compact, medium-power laser weapon system onto a fighter-compatible pod for self-defense against ground-to-air and air-to-air weapons, a service statement said.
Air Force Special Operations Command has commissioned both the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren to examine placing a laser on an AC-130U gunship to provide an offensive capability.
Another advantage of lasers is an ability to use a much more extended magazine for weapons. Instead of flying with six or seven missiles on or in an aircraft, a directed energy weapon system could fire thousands of shots using a single gallon of jet fuel, Air Force experts said.
According to Stellar Science, “The goal of this research project was to compute the three-dimensional (3D) shape and orientation of a satellite from two-dimensional (2D) images of it.”
Stellar Science possesses expertise in scientific, computer-aided modeling and 3D-shape reconstruction, as well as radio-frequency manipulation and laser physics.
Officials throughout the Department of Defense are optimistic about beam weapons and, more generally, directed-energy technologies.
Laser weapons could be used for ballistic missile defense as well. Vice Adm. James Syring, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, said during the 2017 fiscal year budget discussion that “Laser technology maturation is critical for us.”
And the U.S. Navy recently announced that their destroyers and cruisers will possess these systems to help ships fend off drones and missiles."
https://defensesystems.com/articles/2016/12/12/lasers.aspx
SP5 Mark Kuzinski TSgt Joe C. LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSgt (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) SGT Forrest Stewart SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Tom Brown SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt Robert Marx SGT Robert George PO2 Ed C.
Air Force advances laser weapon simulation -- Defense Systems
Air Force advances laser weapon simulationAircraft-launched laser weapons could be applied to a wide range of uses, including air-to-air combat, close air support, counter-UAS(drone), counter-boat, ground attack and even missile defense.
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SSgt Robert Marx
That would be fantastic for the USAF to develop lasers small & powerful enough to fit inside fighter a/c; however, the biggest obstacle possibly would be a power plant to keep a ready supply of current. The Navy uses laser weapons onboard their newest CVN's and they have something like twice the power of the Nimitz class which also provided an enormous amount of electricity for all of its need. The catapult systems are sometimes consisted of electric bandwidths which cause a super-magnet which can receive or reject an A/A.
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this is a good thing ... IF THEY WORK.... that souls be a Whole new Ball Game...
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