Airborne lasers can be high-energy weapons that emit beams of light to strike targets such as TBMs and other aircraft. These systems are a weapon that can be used against land and air targets and have been in development for many decades.
Lockheed Martin currently works on an airborne laser module that can be mounted on fighter planes and carried out in the field. The system will include a Boeing pod, Northrop Grumman's beam control systems and a laser that Lockheed Martin has developed. As part of the Self-Protect high energy laser demonstration (SHiELD), advanced technology demonstrator program, these three systems were developed, designed and manufactured.
Developing an airborne laser is a complex process and the Air Force has been in the business of building these types of systems for a long time. It was 1981 that the Air Force tested a COIL COIL aerial laser. It was mounted on a modified Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and destroyed five AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-air missiles.
The Air Force Research Laboratory and Team ABL, which includes Boeing, TRW (now Northrop Grumman Space Technologies) and Lockheed Martin, are developing the YAL-1A tactical airborne laser weapon system. A modified Boeing 747F freighter, the YAL-1A tactical airborne laser weapon system, will house the laser module.
Although the Air Force had originally planned to fly the test flight in late 2018, the Air Force has moved the initial deployment to 2023. The delay is partly due to a COVID-19 pandemic that has caused work slowdowns for many aerospace companies.
One of the key challenges to developing a tactical airborne laser weapon is that it will need to be able to detect and track the target. It will need an infrared targeting device to achieve this. Infrared tracking can be difficult to develop in the laboratory and requires extensive testing by military pilots.
Another issue is that an infrared pointing and tracking system has to be built that can handle the large energy output of these lasers. This requires significant investment in R&D and investment in optics to be able take high-energy beams and direct them towards their intended targets.
These difficulties have made it difficult for an aircraft laser to reach the ground. However studies have been conducted to find out how kinetic weapons can be combined with lasers to increase their effectiveness. These studies have gotten the attention of the U.S. Army, which has commissioned 50-kW airborne lasers and is considering commissioning a 300-kW version as well.
In a virtual world wargame, the Air Force has also experimented with a laser weapon simulation. This is part the Air Force's larger efforts to create a virtual environment for weapon system development.
The Air Force hasn’t been able successfully deploy a podded weapon laser, but it is still working on ways to make them more effective. They are also experimenting with different types of laser weapons and expanding the range. The service will then be able to decide which type of laser to deploy.