New Era – Simulating Long Range Laser Weapons

New Era – Simulating Long Range Laser Weapons

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The US Air Force has increased 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.

In order to accurately simulate the effects of the new technologies, Stellar Science was hired on a five-year, $7 million contract for advanced laser modeling and simulation.

The company will continue work started in 2014 when the Air Force tapped the group to develop computer simulations and virtual testing of directed energy weapons.

Officials told defensesystems.com that 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, counter-boat, ground attack and even missile defense.

One of the advantages laser weapons possess is their low cost, they make unnecessary the need for high-cost missiles in many combat scenarios. Air Force Research Laboratory officials said they plan to have a program of air-fired laser weapons in place by 2023.

The first airborne tests of the new technology are expected to take place by 2021, Air Force officials said. 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, they added.

Scientists have explained that much of the needed development involves engineering the size, weight and power trades on an aircraft needed to accommodate an onboard 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 until the technological miniaturization efforts can configure the weapon to fire from fighter jets.

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.”

The company possesses expertise in scientific, computer-aided modeling and 3D-shape reconstruction, as well as radio-frequency manipulation and laser physics.

Officials throughout the US 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.”

The U.S. Navy recently announced that their destroyers and cruisers will possess these systems to help ships fend off drones and missiles.