High-energy weapons such as airborne lasers use light beams to destroy targets like tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), drones, 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 is working on an airborne, laser-equipped pod that can be mounted to fighter jets or deployed in the field. The system will include a laser developed by the company, a beam control system built by Northrop Grumman and a pod made by Boeing. The three systems are being designed, developed and manufactured as part of the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) Advanced Technology Demonstrator Program.
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 first tested a COIL airborne laser in 1981 that was mounted on a modified Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and it destroyed five AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and a BQM-34 cruise missile drone.
The YAL-1A tactical, airborne laser weapon system is being developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Lockheed Martin and TRW (now Northrop Grumman Space Technologies), and Team ABL. The laser module, integrated target acquisition and beam control systems, will be carried on a modified Boeing 747F freighter.
The Air Force delayed the deployment of the first test pilot to 2023. However, the flight was originally scheduled for late 2018. This delay is partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused many aerospace companies to slow down their work.
It will be difficult to develop a tactical, airborne laser weapon that can detect and track targets. It will also need an infrared tracking system. Infrared tracking is difficult to develop in a laboratory setting, and it's a process that will require extensive testing by military pilots.
A tracking and infrared system must be developed that can deal with the high energy 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 problems have made it difficult to land an airborne radar on the ground. However there have been several studies to determine how to combine lasers and kinetic weapons to improve their effectiveness. These studies were noticed by the U.S. Army. It has already ordered 50-kW airborne lasers. It is also considering ordering a 300-kW version.
The Air Force also conducted experiments using a simulated laser weapon within a virtual reality wargame. This is part in the larger effort of the Air Force to create a virtual testing environment that allows for weapon system development.
While the Air Force hasn't been successful in deploying a podded laser weapon, it is working to find ways to make these systems more effective by experimenting with other types of laser weapons and expanding their range. They will be able feed the information back to the manufacturing community and help decide the type of laser they want to deploy.