This fall, the laser solutions team of Leonardo Electronics US sponsored the 2017 Directed Energy Day in Alexandria, VA. This high-level private summit brought top military leaders to discuss the emerging technology needs in directed energy.
In talking with attendees, and in our work with defense customers internationally, here are the technology trends and demands to ensure viability of directed energy programs.
- Deployment challenges. Program partners who can move the technology out of the lab and into the field. Scalability concerns were common, and many are facing challenges at the prototype stage. Attendees challenged laser diode designers and manufacturers to make their demos and prototypes more realistic to deployed platforms. One speaker said, “if I see another laser requiring 120V, 60Hz power, I’m going to throw it away.”
- Time on target is a top concern. Airborne platforms demand robust laser design and lightweighting of laser systems, but they may not need as much power as previously believed, while previous demonstrations still need to ramp up power in order to reduce time on target.
- Partnering with industry. What’s the latest? Directed energy program decisions involve a broader range of technical experts, looking to educate themselves and collaborate on laser science.
- Competing technologies and widely varied requirements. Militaries continue to invest in a variety of laser technologies including DPAL, solid state and fiber lasers. The team recently announced an award for fiber laser pump sources in support of the EUCLID program. Attendees recognized Leonardo as “at the forefront of these technologies”, with laser diodes serving as the key pump source for all deployable platforms.
The laser solutions team is committed to the R&D and manufacture of laser diode pump sources for directed energy for air-to-air, air-to-ground, naval and land-based platforms, and has developed several white papers and resources to further the conversation as this technology develops:
- High Energy Laser Systems for Directed Energy & Emerging Applicatons
- Direct Diode Illumination and Pointing at Eye-Safe Wavelengths
- Directed Energy Data Sheet
See our paper at SPIE Photonics West. Session #10514-16, “Advancements of Ultra-High Peak Power Laser Diode Arrays”.
Watch for us at SPIE Photonics West in January, DEPS Science and Technology Symposium in February, DE2DC in March, or SPIE DCS in April, or talk with us about your laser requirements or questions.