directed-energy-weapons

• There has been significant progress also towards the development of compact solid-statelasers. The goal is a minimum of 100kw for such a laser device. The present state of the art isapproximately 10kw. It is not clear how soon it will be possible to achieve an order-of-magnitudeimprovement in solid state laser performance.As discussed elsewhere in this report, there are many potential applications for directed-energy weapons. The first findingof the DoD High Energy Laser Master Plan is that “HEL systems are ready for some of today’s most challengingweapons applications, both offensive and defensive.” 4 In order to realize the military potential inherent in directedenergyweapons, there are a number of steps that must be taken in the areas of technology, operational and doctrinaldevelopment. In addition, the military must anticipate and be prepared to address concerns regarding the humaneffects of such weapons. In some instances, notably in the area of nonlethal directed-energy weapons, this type of testingand evaluation is underway currently.III.CONCLUSIONSA review of recent studies and assessments suggests that the promise of directed-energy weapons is real. Within thenext few years, the first weapons systems built with directed-energy as their kill mechanism will be deployed. Thisstudy has identified two sets of conclusions regarding the significance of directed-energy weapons. The first set ofconclusions focuses on the implications of the introduction of directed-energy weapons for strategy, operations, forcestructure and tactics as discussed in Chapter 2. These implications need to be appreciated in the context of the broadereffort by the Department of Defense to transform the U.S. military. The second set of conclusions derives from thediscussion in Chapter 3 of the implications of directed-energy weapons for U.S. foreign policy and the impact of currentinternational law on the ability to deploy such weapons.The following conclusions reflect a consensus in the technical community that directed-energy weapons can be madeoperational and that they cannot be readily countered. It must be recognized that there are limitations on the uses ofdirected-energy weapons. Environmental phenomena and obscurants can limit the utility of some directed-energyweapons, particularly chemical lasers. Protective shielding and coatings can also reduce the effectiveness of somelasers, albeit potentially at a price in terms of the performance of the shielded platform. Nevertheless, it is believedthat a combination of improvements to the performance of the directed-energy weapons (i.e., increased power,improved accuracy) and tactical counter-countermeasures should enable such systems to perform well under operationalconditions. The truth of this observation will have to be verified through rigorous operational testing.The Military Implications of Directed-Energy WeaponsThe study arrived at seven major conclusions regarding the implications of directed-energy weapons for military operationsand force structure:1. The military impact of directed-energy weapons will be revolutionary. This revolution will be experienced at threelevels: tactical, operational and, finally, strategic. Tactically, directed-energy weapons will provide new mechanisms forkilling targets. Directed energy is an extremely fast means of delivering lethal force against a target. Moreover, the use ofdirected-energy weapons may be all but undetectable. In some applications, the range of directed-energy weapons alsowill be greater than that attainable by other means (e.g., air-to-air missiles). As a result, tactical units equipped withdirected-energy weapons are likely to be more capable than adversaries deploying only traditional weapons systems.Directed-Energy Weapons and The American Way of War51