April 29, 2006 :: The Heritage Foundation :: Analysis
Directed-energy weapons (DEWs) are a reality and may appear on the battlefield within the next decade, writes Alane Kochems, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, and Andrew Gudgel, a former Army Warrant Officer. In a recent article, Kochems and Gudgel describe these new weapons systems, capable of attacking pinpoint targets with either continuous light beams or short, intense pulses. The main advantage of DEWs is their instantaneous target acquisition, allowing them to destroy high-velocity threats such as missiles and artillery shells in mid-flight. In addition, controllers can vary energy strength, allowing for non-lethal uses. The U.S. currently has two directed-energy missile defense systems under development: the Tactical High-Energy Laser, designed to shoot down short-range rockets, artillery, and mortar shells; and the Airborne Laser, which uses a megawatt chemical laser mounted on a modified Boeing 747 to shoot down theater-range ballistic missiles. Kochems and Gudgel describe other projects such as high-power microwave weapons that produce short bursts of high-frequency radio energy, and pulsed power devices that create intense, ultra-short bursts of electrical energy. The authors note that future research will seek to increase the power and decrease the size of DEW systems, allowing them to be vehicle-mounted, and eventually man-portable.
(Article)
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