Revolutionizing laser technology: U.S. Air Force’s HARDROC achieves success
Posted on June 11, 2023 by alert5
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has achieved a major breakthrough in laser technology for aircraft with its recent successful flight-test campaign. The project, known as HARDROC (Hybrid Aero-Effect Reducing Design with Realistic Optical Components), brings us closer to the future of directed energy laser systems integrated onto aircraft.
Photo from AFRL
The HARDROC program, a joint effort between AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate and the Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, along with MZA Associates, a leading contractor, focused on testing a new beam director concept. Their goal was to assess the effectiveness of different aerodynamic flow control techniques in reducing distortions that occur when a laser beam is emitted from a fast-moving aircraft.
Rudy Johnson, the HARDROC program manager, expressed his excitement, stating, “The HARDROC beam director is a game-changer in minimizing aerodynamic issues. Through a series of flight tests, we successfully demonstrated how flow control techniques can significantly reduce the impact of aerodynamics on the beam director.”
https://alert5.com/2023/06/11/revolutionizing-laser-technology-u-s-air-forces-hardroc-achieves-success/
