Airborne lasers are high-energy weapons that use beams of light to destroy targets such as tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) and other aircraft, including drones. 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 laser developed by the company, a beam control system built by Northrop Grumman and a pod made by Boeing. These systems are part of the Self-Protect Higher Energy Laser Demonstrator Program Advanced Technology Demonstrator Program.
The process of developing an airborne laser can be complex. For many years, the Air Force has been involved in building such systems. The Air Force first tested a COIL laser airborne on a modified Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker in 1981. It destroyed five AIM-9 Sidewinder aircraft-to-air missiles as well as a BQM34 cruise missile.
The YAL-1A tactical aerial laser weapon system has been developed by Team ABL and the Air Force Research Laboratory. This team includes Boeing, TRW (now Northrop Grumman Space Technologies), Lockheed Martin, and TRW. The modified Boeing 747 400F freighter will carry the laser module and an integrated target acquisition/beam control system.
The Air Force delayed the deployment of the first test pilot to 2023. However, the flight was originally scheduled for late 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays 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. In order to do that, it will need to have an infrared targeting system. It is not easy to develop infrared tracking in a laboratory environment. This process will need extensive testing by military pilots.
Another problem is the infrared tracking and pointing system that must be able to handle these lasers' high energy outputs. This requires a lot of investment and research in order to design the optics capable of directing the laser beams at their intended targets.
These issues make it difficult for an airborne laser to be launched on the ground. However, there have been many studies that have shown how to combine kinetic weapons and lasers 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 a larger effort by the Air Force to create virtual environments for weapon system testing.
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.