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Subject:
150KW Laser For B-1
Softwar
8/18/2008 2:37:27 PM
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Laser Weapon Designed for B-1 To Be Tested in 2011
Aviation Week & Space Technology
08/18/2008 , page 64
The objective is to demonstrate a 150-kw. laser weapon system packaged to fit in one of the B-1?s three weapons bays. Requirements include a weight of less than 5 kg. (11 lb.) per kilowatt and volume less than 3 cu. meters (106 cu. ft.). This size will allow the B-1 to carry conventional weapons in the other two bays while adding the laser?s defensive and offensive capabilities.
An electric laser, Hellads consumes only aircraft power and ambient air. The weapon is designed to be small enough to be installed on a tactical aircraft and still allow the platform to perform its other missions.
Under Hellads, General Atomics and Textron are developing competing designs for the unit cell laser modules that form the building blocks of the system. Subscale tests have demonstrated unlimited run time, and laboratory tests of full-scale modules are building up to full power-level tests in 2009.
Plans call for one of the two designs to be selected for a laboratory demonstration of the full-scale 150-kw. laser in the third quarter of 2010. The laser will then be delivered to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for integration with the rest of the weapon system.
Lockheed Martin is designing the weapon system, which includes the beam director, targeting subsystem, power supply and thermal management. Darpa?s goal is to simplify the overall weapon system, avoiding the complexity of targeting lasers and producing a reliable and compact weapon.
Mounted in one weapons bay, Hellads would allow the B-1 to engage air and ground targets with lethal and non-lethal effect.
Risk-reduction testing on the weapon system is planned for 2009, in parallel with development of the laser modules. They will come together in 2010, ready for ground tests in 2011. These will include a defensive demonstration of the system?s ability to shoot down two SA-10-class surface-to-air missiles in flight simultaneously.
Lethal and non-lethal offensive capability against a range of ground targets will also be tested. ?We will demonstrate the ability to disable or destroy a vehicle by dialing in a power level or dialing in an effect,? says Woodbury.
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