By Kris Osborn
The Air Force Research Lab solicitation, called a Capabililty Request for Information, seeks details about laser weapons technology to develop for testing, prototyping and experiments planned for next year. The request also looks to acquire information about subsystems and supportive technologies need to engineer operational laser weapons.
“The Air Force is focusing on technologies that enhance many of the enduring attributes of airpower-speed, range, flexibility, and precision,” Air Force spokesman Ed Gulick told Scout Warrior.
Among other things, the requests asks for “Battle Command and sensor systems that facilitate rapid detection, Identification and classification of UAS targets integrated with a system that can provide the capability to interdict, defeat or deny enemy use of UAS.”
The emerging technologies will need to integrate with traditional Command and Control concepts and align with existing Tactics, Techniques and procedures.
Counter drone laser “systems may employ a modular structure capable of interfacing with existing weapon system platforms and sensors to tailor configuration to tasking. Proposed systems must be robust and have integrated sensors used to find, fix, track, and targets,” the request writes.
Overall, the Air Force seeks at least 100 Directed Energy weapons for counter-drone missions for a wide range of missions – to include operational base defense.
Plans for the weapon are to be accompanied by evolving concepts, doctrine, policy and tactics, according to a recently completed Air Force Directed Energy Flight Plan document.
https://scout.com/military/warrior/Article/Air-Force-Seeks-Drone-Killing-Laser-Weapons-107992614
