2. Paradigm Shift in Future Warfare Northrop Grumman Corporation
Laser Weapon Systems
Paradigm Shift in Future Warfare
H. Injeyan
Northrop Grumman Corporation
2 –

3. Historical Perspective
Chemically propelled projectiles have dominated tactical warfare for centuries.
[Dunn]
Weapons that rely on chemical reactions to propel projectiles have dominated warfare for centuries.

4. A New Paradigm?
Laser weapons may challenge the primacy of projectile weapons.
[Dunn]
The primacy of current weapons is under challenge by advances in high-energy lasers with military potential that use chemical reactions or electricity to release intense radiation instead of projectiles. Conventional weapons may co-exist or compete with directed energy systems for missions as these next generation weapons increasingly assume existing roles in the battlespace, as well as new missions that may emerge, like active defense against projectiles.

5. Capability Demonstrated by THEL
Tactical High Energy Laser has shot down:
Rockets
122mm-Katyusha
Short range ballistic missile
Artillery
Mortars
[Wildt]
Growing Laser Weapons Capability
Effective laser weapons are already being developed and tested. The Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) has shot down short- and medium-range tactical missiles and artillery and mortar rounds.

6. Airborne Laser (ABL) Will Further Enhance This Capability
High Power Laser:
World’s First MW-Class COIL Laser
World’s First MW-Class Airborne Laser
Demonstrated 6-Module System Operation, Nov. 2004
[Wildt]
Growing Laser Weapons Capability
The laser for the Air Force’s anti-missile Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft achieved “first light” in a successful ground-based test.

7. Currently the Only Option is Chemical
HF Laser
COIL Laser
[Wildt]
Growing Laser Weapons Capability
One of the challenges in understanding the operational implications of this progress lies in the diverse nature of different laser weapons.
DF Laser

8. Solid-state Lasers are the Next Frontier in Weapon Class Lasers
Solid- State Lasers are approaching militarily significant power levels
All electric, they do not require highly reactive chemicals
25 kW Breadboard
[Wildt]
Growing Laser Weapons Capability
Three competitors in the DoD solid-state laser program are well on their way to achieving militarily significant power levels in their laboratory versions.
100 kW Class, Compact Brassboard

9. Laser Weapons Systems May Be Integrated in Mobile Platforms
Retractable Beam Director
Ancillary Equipment
[Wildt]
Progress in Laser Weapons Systems Integration
Significant progress has been made in integrating laser weapons into air, land, and sea weapons systems. Much design work has already been done to modify the THEL into a deployable combat system.
Laser Gain Generator
Electrical Generator
System Controller

10. Modular Architecture Enables Platform-Specific Weapon Variants
Joint Strike Fighter
B-2 Bomber
AC-130 Gunship
Fighter Aircraft Pod
Army Tactical Trucks
25 – 100 kW Solid State Lasers
Submarines
Satellites
[Wildt]
Progress in Laser Weapons Systems Integration
Systems concepts for integrating SSLs into existing or new platforms, such as the Joint Strike Fighter, have also been developed, although their technical maturity is 5-10 years behind that of chemical laser systems.
Airships
Surface Ships
Small Air Vehicles Require Fiber Lasers

11. Navy is Betting on Free-electron Lasers
Tunable to different wavelengths
Electrically powered
Systems are very large relative to SSL and require liquid He cooling
[Wildt]
A third class, Free Electron Lasers (FELs), use electricity to create laser light on different wavelengths to match changing environmental conditions. The U.S. Navy has been particularly interested in this capability.

12. Navy Ships Have Lots of Room
Free Electron Laser on Navy Destroyer
FEL
Supporting Facilities
[Wildt]
A third class, Free Electron Lasers (FELs), use electricity to create laser light on different wavelengths to match changing environmental conditions. The U.S. Navy has been particularly interested in this capability.

13. Defensive Operations on Battleground
Air
[Dunn]
Defensive Operations: Laser defenses could provide an on-board active defense capability for aircraft that could defeat or destroy incoming missiles or aircraft within their range. This greatly increases the survivability of many non-stealthy, subsonic, vulnerable platforms like Joint STARS, AWACS, and B-52s. Because it reduces the requirement for SEAD, active defense allows strike operations against center of gravity targets to begin earlier in the air campaign.
Sea

14. Defense of Critical Infrastructure
Protect critical infrastructure against range of threats
Airports, shipyards
Industrial sites
Nuclear plants
Bridges, highways etc..
[Dunn]
The same characteristics that make laser weapons effective for these military active defense missions could also allow them to defend critical infrastructure or government facilities against aircraft and direct and indirect fire ground weapons.

15. Conclusion
By making many of the chemically propelled destructive weapons obsolete, laser weapons have the potential to change the makeup of warfare in the near future
The capability has already been demonstrated and recent advances in solid state lasers promise to make these weapon systems more compact and practical
As defensive weapons become more effective, the hope is that it will dramatically reduce aggressive action from nations or terrorist groups
[Dunn]
Recommendations
The U.S. needs a robust process to enhance our understanding of the operational implications of laser weapons and press development of operational concepts for their use. This includes:
Fielding a variant of THEL as rapidly as possible.
Completing the ABL program
Aggressive wargaming and field experimentation with laser weapons