High Energy Laser Research

Mission— High Energy Laser Research

This program is executed via the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (JDETO) in alignment the Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap, as well as other strategic guidance. Section 219 of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act designated a senior official for directed energy and redesignated a legacy office as the JDETO with reporting to the senior official. Currently, the Principal Director for Directed Energy serves as this senior official and updates the Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap on an annual basis. The goal of this program, in turn, is to support the Department’s initiatives in directed energy to build a sustainable and long-term advantage, as well as a resilient Joint force and defense ecosystem. This program funds applied research in directed energy to enable future defense capabilities realized by the Services and Agencies. These efforts include studies, investigations, and component and subsystem design and development to further the knowledge base of high energy laser and high power microwave technologies. In practice, directed energy weapon systems have many potential advantages, including speed-of-light time-to-target, high precision, low incremental cost per kill, and a magazine that is recharged through on-board, fuel-based power and thermal management systems that reduce logistics requirements in contrast to stocks of munitions or warheads. As a result, directed energy weapon systems have the potential to perform a wide variety of military missions. Activities conducted under this program are generally chosen for their potential to have an impact on multiple directed energy weapon systems and multiple military missions while complementing specific Service and Agency needs.

Mission— High Energy Laser Development

This project is part of an overall Department of Defense strategy in Joint directed energy applied research. Efforts within this project will focus on the advanced technologies necessary to increase lethality, expand the mission set, and counter future adversaries. Advancements provided by this project are essential to improve the performance of existing and new directed energy weapon systems. This project builds upon other investments in directed energy applied research by the Services and Agencies to harmonize Department efforts and eliminate duplication. In support, efforts in this project have been coordinated with the Department of Defense Directed Energy and Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology Community of Interest. This project is executed via a technical program within the JDETO referred to as the Directed Energy Enabling Tech Program, which enables (1) applied research in high energy laser and high power microwave technologies that support eventual system-level integration and (2) proof of concept tech demonstrations in a laboratory environment with Joint-international participation. Note that (1) and (2) are in alignment with the near-, mid-, and long-term goals of Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap and encourage transition.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (2)