Posted on 07/04/2007 4:08:04 PM PDT by nypokerface
WASHINGTON, July 3 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman announced it had surpassed "all demonstration requirements" for the first building block of the Joint High Power Solid State Laser, or JHPSSL, Phase 3 program.
The JHPSSL program would now begin its "integration and test phase ... after exceeding all demonstration requirements for the first gain module, or building block, that forms the core of its 100 kW solid-state laser system," the company said in a statement June 25.
"The achievement came as the company successfully completed a Critical Design Review conducted by Department of Defense representatives at the company's new Directed Energy Production Facility," Northrop Grumman said.
"Manufacturing has begun in the new facility, which was designed specifically to produce high-power gain modules beginning with the JHPSSL Phase 3 program. Altogether, there will be 32 gain modules in the company's 100kw JHPSSL Phase 3 demonstrator," the company said.
"This means that Northrop Grumman has designed a 100 kW solid-state laser system that can be efficiently manufactured," said Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "We are gratified by the great confidence shown in our design and analysis for this powerful laser system."
Northrop Grumman said the first gain module demonstrated under the program "produced a power level of more than 3.9 kW, operated for 500 seconds at 20.6 percent efficiency."
"Our design for the JHPSSL Phase 3 laser includes design features needed for future systems," said Mike McVey, vice president of Directed Energy Systems for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "We are making major improvements in size, weight and power in the Phase 3 laser compared with the system we demonstrated in the last phase.
"Under the current phase, the program's goal is for a laser system to reach 100 kW, setting the stage for a variety of force protection and strike missions such as wide-area, ground-based defense against rockets, artillery, and mortars; precision strike missions for airborne platforms, and shipboard defense against cruise missiles," the company said.
"Designed to accelerate solid-state laser technology for military uses, the JHPSSL program is funded by the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala; Office of the Secretary of Defense -- Joint Technology Office, Albuquerque; Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; and the Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va.," Northrop Grumman said.
The company said it had "received a 36-month, $56.68 million contract for JHPSSL Phase 3 in December 2005."
Sounds like just the device to remove the hair from Bin Laden’s chin.
Is this the thing that’s mounted inside a 747 that can shoot down missiles and planes? I’ve seen pics somewhere of this and it’s real.
Laser progress on the 4th!
My kind of fireworks.
The Dimocrats will try their best to kill it.
I believe this is the model that can be fit inside the Lightning II....if they ever finish that darn plane lol!
The ultimate goal is to use it to knock out ICBM’s before they release their MRV’s or MIRV’s.
>> The Dimocrats will try their best to kill it.
...or sell the plans to the Chinese for campaign cash. Yeah Hillary “you know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout”!
Hillary will sell it to China.
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/07/are-we-actually.html#more
Laser Weapons Closing in on Reality
By Noah Shachtman July 03, 2007 | 11:07:25 AMCategories: Lasers and Ray Guns
Are we actually starting to close in on laser weapons? Could be. For years, ray gun researchers have been saying that 100 kilowatts is the minimum power required for battlefield-strength blasters — a level that hasn’t been hit (yet). But Navy officials now claim they’ve got the makings of a workable ray gun that uses only a fraction of that power.
In a presentation and white paper given last week at a meeting of the American Society of Naval Engineers, Captain David Kiel said that lasers using as little as 10 and 20 kilowatts were used to blast mortars and zap small watercraft. Neither the Navy — nor its corporate partner, Raytheon — is saying exactly how they pulled it off. But the key, according to Kiel, is fiber lasers, which (to oversimplify) use optical threads — instead of crystal slabs or vats of chemicals — as the ray’s power source. They’re considered some of the simplest kinds of lasers to use — and to combine into even stronger beams.
In a proof-of-principle demonstration of a fiber laser at Sandia National Laboratory in June 2006, Raytheon destroyed mortar rounds, at ranges of interest, using a commercially purchased fiber laser, thus showing the effectiveness of this type of laser, with low beam quality, against targets of interest. Furthermore, in late summer of 2006, a series of static field tests conducted at NSWC [Naval Surface Warfare Center] Crane, Indiana, against a variety of missile seekers at tactically significant range, demonstrated again the reliability and utility of a commercial fiber laser. These demonstrations validated the lethality model and engagement simulation and paved the way to a deployable near-term fiber laser weapon.
But these weren’t just isolated tests, Capt. Kiel, with Naval Sea Systems Command, insists. By fiscal year 2009, he believes he can have a fiber laser-powered version of the Phalanx mortar-shooting system — already deployed in Iraq — ready to demonstrate.
In the fiber laser arena, there is a focus on near-term weapon system demonstration instead of development of laser device capabilities. For these demonstrations, the development time span is 2-4 years and concentration is on the use of commercially available lasers (COTS) to augment existing weapon systems capabilities. Emerging program plans involve replacing the Gatling gun in a Phalanx mount and working to improve both laser beam quality and laser output power for a demonstrator system which is currently called Laser Weapon System (LaWS). The primary objective of the LaWS Program is near-term transition of the laser weapon to the warfighter. Its shipboard missions include addressing threats such as
the asymmetric threat among several others, The LaWS Program plans development of a weapon system starting in mid FY 2008 and culminating with a demonstration of capability in FY 2009.
Of course, shooting down mortars is only the beginning, if the Navy can get this right. In the long term, the service is much more concerned about a new generation of anti-ship cruise missiles. The things move so fast, it might take a speed-of-light weapon — like a laser — to knock ‘em out.
(High five: Inside the Navy)
Is this the thing that’s mounted inside a 747 that can shoot down missiles and planes? I’ve seen pics somewhere of this and it’s real.
No, that is a COIL laser that will fly in the Airborne Laser (ABL) prototype. The JHPPSL is aimed more at tactical systems and possible on fighter type aricraft for airborne missions.
Nope, that is an older gas laser system that had limited capacity in terms of both power and number of shots. The 100kW solid state laser is FAR more powerful, FAR more capable of repeat shots, MUCH more compact and efficient, and therefore FAR more useful as a weapon. This is a VERY big deal!
Yup, that's a good bet. Here's one company (I'm not associated with them) that has been developing that tech: http://www.spilasers.com/Home.aspx
From the article:
Altogether, there will be 32 gain modules in the company's 100kw JHPSSL Phase 3 demonstrator,"...
32 * 3.9 > 100.
One thing to keep in mind.... If the guy on the other side of the mountain has a mortar and all you’ve got is a ray gun, you’re ****ed.
Did I hear the words “Death Star?”
The one that’s currently in the 747 is a chemical laser. The military doesn’t want to deploy it because of the requirement to move toxic chemicals into a combat zone. The solid state laser is a huge improvement once they get it up to the required power levels. This test suggests they’re on the right track.
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