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Navy Laser Success Key In UAV Research And Development
China Lake CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2009 Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), with support from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, for the first time successfully tracked, engaged and destroyed a threat representative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while in flight at Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, Calif. A total of five targets were engaged and destroyed during the testing, also a first for the U.S. Navy. Members of NAVSEA's Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems (DE and EWS) Program Office and NSWC Dahlgren fired a laser through a beam director on a KINETO tracking mount. Two additional UAVs were engaged and destroyed in flight June 9, with two more UAVs shot down June 11. These recent evolutions continued a series of progressively challenging tests using the prototype version of the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (LaWS). "The success of this effort validates the military utility of DE and EWS," said Program Manager Capt. David Kiel. "Further development and integration of increasingly more powerful lasers into Surface Navy LaWS will increase both the engagement range and target sets that can be successfully engaged and destroyed." NAVSEA's DE and EWS Program Office is responsible for the research, development, integration and acquisition initiation of DE and EWS for the Navy's surface forces. NSWC Dahlgren focuses on research, development, test and evaluation in the fields of military safety testing, integrated warfare systems, weapons and ammunition, sensors and directed energy and homeland and force (military personnel and equipment) protection. Recent advances in commercial high energy fiber welding laser development for commercial welding use have made the deployment of a weapons grade laser based defense system on board naval vessels a realistic possibility. DE and EWS is transitioning technology from the laboratory to prototype system development/test for operational development and use. One of the multiple 'game changing' technologies that is under development includes laser weapons that provide for speed-of-light engagements at tactically significant ranges with cost savings realized by minimizing the use of defensive missiles and projectiles. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Learn about laser weapon technology at SpaceWar.com
Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser Fires High-Power Laser In FlightAlbuquerque NM (SPX) Jun 23, 2009 Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have successfully fired the high-power laser aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft for the first time in flight. During the test, ATL took off from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and fired its laser while flying over White Sands Missile Range, N.M., successfully hitting a target board located on the ground. ATL, which Boeing is developing for the ... read more |
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