Solid State Laser News

[fredymac]

Raytheon's entertaining scenarios for HEL defense.  A 300KW level coupled with a full up beam control incorporating adaptive optics might knock down targets as fast as they show (at short range) but I'm not aware of a solid state HEL reaching that power.  Also, the beam director shown looks smaller than desired for ranges beyond a few kilometers.

[sferrin]

If they want to have a prayer of keeping up they better not have some dude with a game pad trying to take them out *facepalm*.

Imagine this many:



of these:

[fredymac]

If you are 5Km away, drones separated by a few meters might be in the angular range of beam control fast steering mirrors where the beam director would not have to rotate to cover multiple targets.  Fast steering mirrors are either voicecoil or piezo driven so they can slew the beam very quickly.

At 5Km, a high speed racing drone moving at 200Km/hr would cover 0.65 degree/sec which is pretty slow for a gimbal.  Tracking is implemented by the FSM mirrors which in turn off load any accumulated angles to the gimbal.  If you are very close, that is another matter.  2 HEL units spaced several Km's apart might be able to perform mutual protection.

[sferrin]

If you are 5Km away, drones separated by a few meters might be in the angular range of beam control fast steering mirrors where the beam director would not have to rotate to cover multiple targets.  Fast steering mirrors are either voicecoil or piezo driven so they can slew the beam very quickly.

At 5Km, a high speed racing drone moving at 200Km/hr would cover 0.65 degree/sec which is pretty slow for a gimbal.  Tracking is implemented by the FSM mirrors which in turn off load any accumulated angles to the gimbal.  If you are very close, that is another matter.  2 HEL units spaced several Km's apart might be able to perform mutual protection.

Thing is a weaponized swarm wouldn't be in a nice pretty formation.  They'd be coming from every direction, bobbing and weaving all the way, using whatever local cover was available. 

[jsport]

If you are 5Km away, drones separated by a few meters might be in the angular range of beam control fast steering mirrors where the beam director would not have to rotate to cover multiple targets.  Fast steering mirrors are either voicecoil or piezo driven so they can slew the beam very quickly.

At 5Km, a high speed racing drone moving at 200Km/hr would cover 0.65 degree/sec which is pretty slow for a gimbal.  Tracking is implemented by the FSM mirrors which in turn off load any accumulated angles to the gimbal.  If you are very close, that is another matter.  2 HEL units spaced several Km's apart might be able to perform mutual protection.

The best counter drone swarm system is one's own armed drone swarm w/ better and survivable  hardened drones able to destroy drone launch sites as well.  ie your drones are not disposable stupid quadrotors.

[sferrin]

The best counter drone swarm system is one's own armed drone swarm w/ better and survivable  hardened drones able to destroy drone launch sites as well.  ie your drones are not disposable stupid quadrotors.

Drones armed with what?  If your uber-drone costs 20 times that of a one-shot drone that's a losing battle $$$$.  Like using a PAC-3 to take out a smart bomb.  Sure, it works, until you run out of PAC-3s.

[bring_it_on]

Thing is a weaponized swarm wouldn't be in a nice pretty formation.  They'd be coming from every direction, bobbing and weaving all the way, using whatever local cover was available.

This is why the solution that the USAF has selected Raytheon to demonstrate involves both an HPM and a HEL. Together, they will be able to disable or destroy a far greater number of drones than HEL alone. For further protection, you can increase the number of systems and mix them with other Electronic Attack and kinetic options.

[sferrin]

Thing is a weaponized swarm wouldn't be in a nice pretty formation.  They'd be coming from every direction, bobbing and weaving all the way, using whatever local cover was available.

This is why the solution that the USAF has selected Raytheon to demonstrate involves both an HPM and a HEL. Together, they will be able to disable or destroy a far greater number of drones than HEL alone. For further protection, you can increase the number of systems and mix them with other Electronic Attack and kinetic options.

This, and it needs to be computer controlled.  No way a human would be able to keep up.

[jsport]

Low density assets such DEW vehicles will never be able to protect dispersed general purpose forces from swarm attack. Even laser equipped Strykers are low density assets and can be individually overcome with a limited number of mixed fixed wing and VTOL UAS. Much like WWI this is an air superiority paradigm.

[bobbymike]

Thing is a weaponized swarm wouldn't be in a nice pretty formation.  They'd be coming from every direction, bobbing and weaving all the way, using whatever local cover was available.

This is why the solution that the USAF has selected Raytheon to demonstrate involves both an HPM and a HEL. Together, they will be able to disable or destroy a far greater number of drones than HEL alone. For further protection, you can increase the number of systems and mix them with other Electronic Attack and kinetic options.

This, and it needs to be computer controlled.  No way a human would be able to keep up.

With dwell or 'kill' times in the 10th of seconds

[jsport]

Thing is a weaponized swarm wouldn't be in a nice pretty formation.  They'd be coming from every direction, bobbing and weaving all the way, using whatever local cover was available.

This is why the solution that the USAF has selected Raytheon to demonstrate involves both an HPM and a HEL. Together, they will be able to disable or destroy a far greater number of drones than HEL alone. For further protection, you can increase the number of systems and mix them with other Electronic Attack and kinetic options.

This, and it needs to be computer controlled.  No way a human would be able to keep up.

With dwell or 'kill' times in the 10th of seconds

Material science is in favor of ever hardened skin UAS skin along w/ reactive maneuver. . Jam proof UAS are already easily produced not to mention those which autonomous w/ no RF inroads. DEW against UAS arms race leads to a losing DEW when it comes to swarms. 

[bobbymike]

Lots of DEW talk

https://www.csis.org/events/reenergizing-missile-defense-enterprise-0

[fredymac]

Bland AFRL corporate video covering DE work.  Another generic looking 6th gen fighter at 1:30 mark using a HEL to shoot down someone else's 6th gen fighter.

[fredymac]

Not a weapon but interesting application of a high power laser (vs high energy laser).  I suspect the reason you can have the beam pass over your fingers is similar to why a sparkler burning at 2000 deg F is not dangerous.  Even so, you wouldn't point this at someone's eyes if they are anywhere close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACGSzBXKONo&feature=youtu.be