Lasers : The Permanent Weapon Of The Future

Four years ago, manufacturers of combat lasers believedthese weapons were only a few years away from battlefield use. To that end,Northrop-Grumman set up a new divisions to develop and build battle lasers.This optimism was caused by two successful tests five years ago. In one, asolid state laser shot down a mortar round. In another, a much more powerfulchemical laser, hit a missile type target. Neither of these tests led to anyuseable weapons, and the combat laser remains the "weapon of thefuture."

Solid state lasers have been around since the 1950s, andchemical lasers first appeared in the 1970s. The chemical laser has theadvantage of using a chemical reaction to create the megawatt level of energyfor a laser that can penetrate the body of a ballistic missile that is stillrising in the air hundreds of kilometers away. The chemical reaction usesatomized liquid hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide and chlorine gas toform an ionized form of oxygen known as singlet delta oxygen (SDO). This, inturn is rapidly mixed with molecular iodine gas to form ionized iodine gas. Atthat point, the ionized iodine gas rapidly returns to its resting state, andwhile doing so releases photons pulsing at the right frequency to create thelaser light. These photons are channeled by mirrors and sent on their way tothe target (which is being tracked and pinpointed by other lasers). Theairborne laser weighs about six tons. It is carried in a C-130H, producing alaser powerful enough to hit airborne or ground targets fifteen kilometersaway. The laser exists via a targeting turret under the nose of the aircraft.The laser beam is invisible to the human eye. The chemicals are mixed at highspeeds, and the byproducts are harmless heat, potassium salt, water, andoxygen. Ultimately, a similar laser, flying in a larger aircraft (B-747) is tohave enough range to knock down ballistic missiles as they take off.

Nearly half a century of engineering work has producedthousands of improvements, and a few breakthroughs, in making the lasers morepowerful, accurate and lethal. More efficient energy storage has made itpossible to use lighter, shorter range ground based lasers effective againstsmaller targets like mortar shells and short-range rockets. Northrops move wasan indication that the company felt confident enough to gamble its own money,instead of what they get for government research contracts, to produce usefullaser weapons. A larger high energy airborne laser would not only be usefulagainst ballistic missiles. Enemy aircraft and space satellites would also beat risk. But companies like Northrop and Boeing are still trying to produceground and airborne lasers that can successfully operate under combatconditions. So far, no one has been able to produce such a weapon. That's whythese lasers remain "the weapon of the future, and will probably remain sofor a while.