Selected Directed Energy Research and Development for U.S. Air Force Aircraft Applications A Workshop Summary (2013) / Chapter Skim
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3 Synopsis of Workshop Sessions
3 Synopsis of Workshop Sessions
Pages 18-45
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. Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Welcome and Introductions Gen Ronald E
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-- Cost issues -- Intellectual acceptance issues -- operational practitioners do not understand the benefits, do not see DEW solutions as a better way of operating In Gen Keys's opinion, DEW technology has to win its way onto the battlefield. It must add value by doing something better than non-DEW options can, or something that they cannot, do.
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high-power microwaves for counter-electronics applications, (2) high-energy lasers for airbase defense, (3)
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Robert Peterkin, Chief Scientist, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL In his introduction, Dr. Peterkin noted that his presentation does not cover AFRL work on Blue Force defense against Red Force DEW threats.
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. High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office Initiatives Mr.
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In addition, the HEL-JTO manages a portfolio of technology programs to advance the state of the art in HEL weapon system development; maintain the industrial base for HEL-related technologies; and educate current and future scientists, engineers, testers, and warfighters on HEL technologies and systems potential. The HEL-JTO portfolio consists of laser source development, laser beam control technologies, laser lethality sciences, modeling and simulation, satellite and airspace deconfliction, and educational initiatives.
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Keys (USAF, Ret.) , Session Chair Gen Keys asked the participants to comment on the day's presentations, going in a clockwise direction around the table from his left.
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(In subsequent discussions, particularly during Sessions 2 and 3, Gen Keys emphasized that air base defense is not currently seen by ACC and others as an Air Force mission. See Theme 2.)
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Vance Behr, Deputy Director for Military Systems and Technologies, Integrated Military Systems Center, Sandia National Laboratories Dr. Behr prepared an abstract of his presentation for inclusion in this report; it is incorporated below as Box 3-5.
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Daniel Ripin, Assistant Leader, Laser Technology and Applications Group, MIT Lincoln Laboratory Dr. Ripin described the status of the technology for combined fiber lasers, including advances in beam-combining technologies and quantum cascade lasers.
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The defensive counter-air scenario with the LRAS concept showed increased Blue Force survivability and increased Red Force attrition compared with the no-LRAS scenario. Similarly, the longer-term Laser Strike Fighter concept showed an increase in Blue Force survivability and an increase in Red Force attrition relative to the same counter-air scenario run with a Joint Strike Fighter without the HEL weapon system.
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Keys (USAF, Ret.) , Session Chair For this wrap-up discussion of the first session, Gen Keys suggested that the participants address the following four questions: • What are the three DEW mission areas for the Air Force to play in?
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Gen Keys discussed with the workshop participants whether this legal stricture would apply to all airborne threats to an overseas Air Force base, as well as to protection from threats "just outside the fence," which has traditionally been the kind of defense provided by the Army for overseas air bases. Various participants mentioned cruise missiles, longer range ballistic missiles, and RPAs as potential future threats to Air Force bases that might be beyond the capability of existing or planned Army base defense systems.
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• With respect to Red Force use of DEW systems, Gen Keys noted that an adversary would likely have an asymmetric advantage in that large, heavy DEW systems can protect fixed bases, whereas the U.S. Air Force has to address difficult SWaP issues to have DEW systems that are practical for use on aircraft.
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Scott (USAF, Ret.) , Workshop Planning Committee Member Maj Gen Scott described the role of the Directed Energy Senior Advisor Group (DESAG)
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One representative comment was that, overall, the operational Navy seems to have accepted DEW applications more than the operational Air Force has. Several participants observed that the Navy appears further along in fieldable development for its focal DEW applications, such as responding to small-boat swarms, air/land-to-sea missile swarms, or mine clearing, which do not have the SWaP constraints that apply to potentially important Air Force roles for DEW.
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(See Theme 2.) Gen Keys summarized his perception of the extended discussion on this topic as follows, "Recognition of assigned roles and missions in a joint context are important; however, the Air Force has a vital interest in air base defense and should therefore provide support to ensure that the DE base defense capability on which the Army is working will provide operational systems that cover Air Force needs." There was a range of views on how the Air Force could best pursue this "vital interest." During the third-session review of this discussion, a participant disagreed with the implication that the Air Force should "provide support" [i.e., provide funding]
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Returning to the issue raised in the Day 1 wrap-up discussion of what might be the key DEW applications -- and particularly HEL weapons -- for nearer-term Air Force applications, a participant noted that aircraft-carried HEL systems for antisensor and combat ID applications had not been discussed yet in Sessions 1 and 2. The chair agreed with the point and added that the participants also needed to think about counter surface-to-air-missile (counter-SAM)
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Raytheon DEW Initiatives: CHAMP Payload and Effects Testing Dr. Peter Duselis, Raytheon Company Dr.
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of tactical laser weapons. He contrasted the SWaP requirements of the new distributed-gain electric lasers with the SWaP requirements of the Airborne Tactical Laser.
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Bernard, Senior Intelligence Analyst, AFRL This assessment covered both radio frequency weapons (RFW) such as HPM and HEL weapons.
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" -- In the context of Blue Force airborne DEW weapons to counter Red Force defensive, ground-based DEW weapons, several comments suggested that an open question is whether airborne DEW weapons would be successful in "jousting" with the larger, more powerful Red Force systems. Other comments suggested that countering Red Force defensive DEW systems might be best done by CONOPS that combined DEW and kinetic weapon capabilities.
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The guidance given for the presentations from the Air Force Air-Sea Battle Office, the Army, and DARPA was specific to each of those topics and is included in the synopses below. The three presenters from industry (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing)
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that suggest potential Blue Force DEW applications? Col Thomas noted that Air-Sea Battle is not new for either the Air Force or Joint forces, but it has not been updated since about 2000.
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DARPA Airborne DEW Initiatives Dr. Joseph Mangano, Program Manager, Advanced Lithograph Program, Microsystems Technology Office, DARPA The specific guidance sent to Dr.
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directed-energy weapons will not replace kinetic capabilities, but rather directed-energy and kinetic weapons are complementary and synergistic; (2) high-energy laser weapons can help fill numerous capability gaps spanning the breadth of offensive and defensive missions; and (3)
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Keys (USAF, Ret.) , Session Chair Gen Keys asked the participants for comments on the Day 1 presentations.
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Dr. Thomas Romesser, Independent Consultant, Member of the Workshop Planning Committee To provide the workshop with a historical perspective on the degree to which technology HEL status forecasts and envisioned DEW applications have (or have not)
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