The United States must realize that it has to resource the development and fielding of these capabilities. National Defense University This destroys the device but produces electrical pulses in the terawatt range-the equivalent of 10 to 1,000 lightning strikes. Directed energy weapons are among the high-tech arms of the century. The skin of the missile heats up, melts, and deforms, and the target breaks up in midair. The release noted the HPM and HEL systems engaged and defeated dozens of unmanned aerial system targets during the exercise, The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, is the result of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command research. For example, as mentioned earlier, directed energy weapons development can take advantage of progress being made in commercial industry around processors, power generation and management and even lasers subsystems themselves. The system consists of several modules: an infrared detection system to detect the missile's launch; the Tracking Illumination Laser (TILL); the Beacon Illuminator Laser (BILL); and the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL). Like lasers, HPM weapons can operate in a pulsed or continuous manner and are classified using peak or average power respectively. Semiconductors and modern electronics are particularly susceptible to HPM attacks. A possible future development is the electrolaser. While directed-energy technology is not the panacea for all situations that its most ardent advocates claim, it can give the U.S. military flexibility in tailoring its responses (e.g., lethal or nonlethal) to different types of targets (humans or machines). Bofors HPM Blackout is a high-powered microwave weapon that is said to be able to destroy at short distance a wide variety of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic equipment and is purportedly non-lethal. They built an electron accelerator called Rheotron to generate hard X-ray synchrotron beams for the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM). The death ray of science fiction may in fact become a reality in the not too distant future. Future research will seek to increase the power and decrease the size of DEW systems. ", "Navy's new laser weapon: Hype or reality? When the LaWS was being integrated onto the ship, the designers and developers envisioned that it would be used several hours a day. This laser uses rings of magnetically confined electrons whirling at the speed of light to produce laser beams that can be tuned up and down the electromagnetic spectrum from microwaves to ultraviolet light. -Alane Kochems is a Policy Analyst for National Security in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation. The United States cannot allow itself to fall behind in yet another area of warfighting as has happened in hypersonics. 13 Todd South, Soldiers in Europe are now Using Lasers to Shoot Down Drones, ArmyTimes.com, February 8, 2018, available at < https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/02/28/soldiers-in-europe-are-now-using-lasers-to-shoot-down-drones/>. While centuries of technological advances have improved the power of these materials, the basic operating principle of chemical-powered weapons ultimately remains the same. "[75], In the 1980s, U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program, which was nicknamed Star Wars. Fixing the Research and Deployment Bottlenecks. Microwave weapons can be aimed at computers, electronical devices and persons. Therefore, HELs and HPMs could also play a role in the midcourse/terminal phase of both types of hypersonic missile flight. These waves penetrate only a few millimeters into the skin and cause the sensation of heat. Weapons designed to cause undue suffering are banned under the Geneva Convention, and human rights groups argue that directed-energy weapons raise a host of new legal and moral concerns that do not apply to previous generations of conventional weapons. However, British scientists calculated that the electronic systems of the time could not generate the power necessary for a "death ray," and research was redirected into early radar detection systems. The kinetic energy imparted by a particle stream destroys the target by heating the target's atoms to the point that the material literally explodes. Space-based high energy lasers could be brought to bear especially in the boost/ascent phase of boost glide hypersonic missiles where a high-energy laser could destroy the vehicle early in its trajectory. Because of its coherence, laser light can stay concentrated for very long distanceseven thousands of miles into space. The manufacturer states that the weapon can disrupt remote control, the transmission of video at 2.4 and 5 GHz, and GPS and Glonass satellite navigation signals. [49], Both Russia and Ukraine are reported to use these devices during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Loading. "'[68][69], In East Germany in the 1960s, many people were arrested and interrogated for holding politically incorrect views or for performing actions deemed hostile by the ruling socialist state. They could therefore avoid there being any evidence of repression or at least limit it. Rifle, bazooka and mortar rounds easily deformed the parabolic reflectors, rendering the wave amplification ineffective.[64]. In March 2003, North Korea may have used a ZM-87 to "paint" two U.S. Apache helicopters patrolling the Demilitarized Zone. During the Iraq War, electromagnetic weapons, including high power microwaves, were used by the U.S. military to disrupt and destroy Iraqi electronic systems and may have been used for crowd control. [4] Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. RIVERDALE, Md. [17]Dr. Stephen Adams, "Electrical Power and Thermal Management for Airborne Directed Energy Weapons," U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, September 2001, at http://www.afrlhorizons.com/Briefs/Sept01/PR0101.html (March 15, 2006). This destroys the device but produces electrical pulses in the terawatt range-the equivalent of 10 to 1,000 lightning strikes. High-power microwave (HPM) and high-power millimeter wave weapons emit beams of electromagnetic energy typically from about 10 megahertz to the 100 gigahertz frequency range. This also includes fundamental differences such as the wavelength of the lasers and the beam quality required for success. [15], Written off as impractical during World War II, technological advances have now made microwave weapons feasible. ), is an Executive Vice President and Directed Energy Lead at Booz Allen Hamilton and the former Director of the Missile Defense Agency. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. For example, the MDR proposes that the Missile Defense Agency study the potential to develop and field space-based lasers to intercept ballistic missiles.15. This concentrated energy can have effects across the entire spectrum from non-lethal to lethal. But again, advances in computational power coming out of the gaming industry (such as graphics processing units) and artificial intelligence coming from autonomous automobile development can be instrumental in providing these needed capabilities. But again, there are major advances in these areas being made especially with the technology that has been developing in the electric car industry. 5-1111, Special Report, Phillips Laboratory, March 1996, 76. In 2017, the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff signed the DE Flight Plan outlining the path ahead for the Air Force to develop and deploy both high-energy lasers and high-power RF weapons for its aircraft. At 200 yards away, body temperature increases from the normal 98.6 F to 107 F. At closer range, the temperature increase can be even higher, and is lethal. The U.S. Army confirmed in June that it is accelerating efforts to field a directed-energy weapon prototype by 2022. The first step in this endeavor is underway with funding for laser scaling and beam quality improvements for both combined fiber lasers as well as hybrid lasers such as the diode pumped alkali laser or DPALS. [26] Most DEWs are not yet far enough along in development and thus have not received this final stamp of approval. [citation needed], Another approach was Ernst Schiebolds 'Rntgenkanone' developed from 1943 in Groostheim near Aschaffenburg. The Russian Stupor is reported to have a range of two kilometers, covering a 20-degree sector; it also suppresses the drone's cameras. [3], China,[4][5][6][7] France,[8][9][10][11] Germany,[8][9] the United Kingdom,[12][13] Russia,[14][15][16] India,[17][18][19] and Pakistan[20][21][22] are also developing military-grade directed-energy weapons, while Iran[23][24][25][26] and Turkey claim to have them in active service. Laser light can be produced by a number of different methods, ranging from rods of chemically doped glass to energetic chemical reactions to semiconductors. Reversing the order of events in retelling the story created a "tale" where tourists car engine stopped first and then were approached by a German soldier who told them that they had to wait. For instance, the Active Denial System was not ready for deployment when the United States invaded Iraq, in part because the money was not there. The command and control system determines the missile launch point. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. HPM lethality can be affected by atmospheric conditions as well, but to a much lesser degree than high-energy laser (HEL) weapons. Conceptual MindWorks in San Antonio, TX received a $7 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract to provide for research support around emerging directed energy weapons (including non-lethal weapons) and their effects on humans.Work will be conducted in cooperation with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Human Effectiveness Directorate (AFRL/HEDR), Directed Energy Bio-effects Division, Radio . According to a legend, Archimedes created a mirror with an adjustable focal length (or more likely, a series of mirrors focused on a common point) to focus sunlight on ships of the Roman fleet as they invaded Syracuse, setting them on fire. 15 Office of the Secretary of Defense, Missile Defense Review, January 2019, available at < https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Interactive/2018/11-2019-Missile-Defense-Review/The%202019%20MDR_Executive%20Summary.pdf>. DE warfare is military action involving the use of DE weapons, devices, and countermeasures to either cause direct damage or destruction of adversary equipment, facilities, and personnel, or to determine, exploit, reduce, or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) through damage, destruction, and disruption.1. However, Boeing has been somewhat successful with the Boeing YAL-1 and Boeing NC-135, the first of which destroyed two missiles in February 2010. [23]Press release, "Northrop Grumman Surpasses Power, Run-Time Requirements of Joint High Power Solid-State Laser Program for Military Use," Northrop Grumman Corporation, November 9, 2005, at http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.mhtml?d=89438 (March 15, 2006). More than 130 US officials, from the state department, CIA and national security council (NSC), have suffered from symptoms, including dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and headaches, first. [10]Press release, "Airborne Laser Progress Continues as Northrop Grumman Runs Full-Power COIL Tests, Delivers Beacon Illuminator Laser," Northrop Grumman Corporation, January 4, 2006, at http://www.irconnect.com/noc/pages/news_printer.mhtml?d=91869 (March 15, 2006). DEW technology is changing faster than international laws and treaties can adapt. On 10 October 1984 (STS-41-G), the Terra-3 tracking laser was allegedly aimed at Challenger as it passed over the facility. Vection and motion sickness can also occur. "Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program,", Richard M. Roberds, Ph.D., "Introducing the Particle-Beam Weapon,", GlobalSecurity.org, "Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)," at, Bill Gertz, "N. Korea Fired Laser at Troops,", "Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program. Since 1999 those weapons have been upgraded for another 13 years. Examples of NLFoS weapons include: a 60kW laser called HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) expected to be deployed by 2021 that will be capable of burning through small boats and shooting down drones; the SSLTM (Solid State LaserTechnology Maturation system), which will eventually be a 150kW laser weapon on the LPD27 amphibious ship; and the ODIN (Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy) that will also go on a destroyer.11. The speed, ultraprecision, and nonlethal capabilities of directed-energy weapons are all good reasons why the United States should continue to research, develop, and, where appropriate, field these technologies. Development of the THEL began in 1996 as a joint program between the United States and Israel to develop a laser system capable of shooting down Katyusha rockets, artillery, and mortar shells. A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy, including laser, microwaves and particle Another revolution in weaponry is currently underway, with directed-energy weapons on the cusp of replacing chemical-powered weapons on the battlefield. Some applications of directed energy weapons to solve todays challenges have already been described, such as stopping swarms of small adversary boats which have been harassing U.S. ships in international waters, or stopping vehicles carrying improvised explosive devices at a safe distance from U.S. personnel. Weapons designed to cause undue suffering are banned under the Geneva Convention, and human rights groups argue that directed-energy weapons raise a host of new legal and moral concerns that do not apply to previous generations of conventional weapons. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. [10], Once tracked by the TILL, the BILL measures the atmospheric distortion between the COIL and the missile. Such stories were circulating in Britain around 1938 and during the war British Intelligence relaunched the myth as a "British engine-stopping ray," trying to spoof the Germans into researching what the British had supposedly invented in an attempt to tie up German scientific resources. . In addition, a technique known as adaptive optics has been developed for many years. While DEWs are not the solution to all combat situations, these technologies would provide the U.S. military with additional flexibility in tailoring its response to different types of threats. They hurt and kill with electromagnetic power. Thermal blooming occurs in both charged and neutral particle beams, and occurs when particles bump into one another under the effects of thermal vibration, or bump into air molecules. [56] Their weapons capability has been controversially used in the USA to disrupt numerous protests. Among the directed-energy weapons the Nazis investigated were X-ray beam weapons developed under Heinz Schmellenmeier, Richard Gans and Fritz Houtermans. DE weapons include high-energy lasers, high-power radio frequency or microwave devices, and charged or neutral particle beam weapons.2 Microwaves and lasers are both part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes light energy and radio waves. However, British scientists calculated that the electronic systems of the time could not generate the power necessary for a "death ray," and research was redirected into early radar detection systems. (Invented by Max Steenbeck at Siemens-Schuckert in the 1930s, these were later called Betatrons by the Americans.) However, directed-energy weapons (DEWs) are a reality, and several have already been tested under battlefield conditions. During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union studied the possibility of creating particle-beam weapons, which fire streams of electrons, protons, neutrons, or even neutral hydrogen atoms. When directed at humans, a microwave weapon causes atoms to vibrate, which in turn generates heat. The Sodium Guidestar at the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate's Starfire Optical Range. For example, atmospheric conditions such as turbulence, haze, clouds, etc. The Air Force Research Lab's Propulsion Directorate has studied using generators that use high-temperature superconducting wire and high-voltage capacitors. The Defense Department needs to establish clear guidelines for using the technology. Researchers with AFRL use the Guidestar laser for real-time, high-fidelity tracking and imaging of satellites too faint for conventional adaptive optical imaging systems. In 1995, the Chinese military marketed the ZM-87 laser interference device, a tripod-mounted battlefield laser dazzler designed to blind enemy soldiers and optics temporarily. For example, a recent test of a solid-state laser by Northrop Grumman produced a continuous 27-kilowatt beam that lasted just under six minutes. This information is then transferred to an optical tracking system, which refines the target tracking and positions the beam director. One of the greatest attributes of directed energy weapons is that they operate at the speed of light. X-ray lasers may be possible in the not too distant future. What are the challenges and next steps? Types and magnitudes of exposure to electromagnetic fields are unknown.[78]. This capability would be very useful at checkpoints or for stopping escaping vehicles. But the fact that the. Because they were invented several decades ago, lasers are the most mature of the DEW technologies. In this case, the enemy would be required to totally replace entire systems, facilities, and hardware if it was to regain any degree of operational status.9. It turned out that during its three-year deployment, from 201114, it was used nearly around the clock in its ISR mode. Directed-Energy Weapons Programs A number of countries are investing in directed-energy weapons programs. And of course, lasers employed at higher altitudes or in space would have very little to no atmospheric affects. True support for a program is often best measured by the resources that an organization is willing to devote to it. The lasers on the current path to weaponization include solid state combined fiber and crystal slab as well as hybrid lasers. They are not "weapons of mass destruction," but they have the potential to . and also Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Symptoms of extremely high and extremely low EMFs and Directed Energy Weapons or (DEW) Please keep in mind that not all symptoms are experienced in an exact order - you may experience the worst symptoms first - or the least of the symptoms in a later stage. Lasers produce narrow, single-frequency (i.e., single-color), coherent beams of light that are much more powerful than ordinary light sources. Weapons that go beyond non-lethal intentions and cause 'superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering' may also violate the Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1977."[87]. "laser.". Directed energy weapons, such as lasers and microwaves, had enjoyed an exotic aura. This type of weapon shows great potential as a riot-control device or area-denial system. However, the Army felt the fixed-base laser system was too large and cut funding for the program after the demonstration phase. Funding has been cut to both of the programs. The laser diodes, fiber amplifiers, battery and power management, thermal control, and optical systems are also much more advanced. [7]Bill Gertz, "N. Korea Fired Laser at Troops," The Washington Times, May 13, 2003, at http://newsmine.org/archive/war-on-terror/north-korea/nkorea-fired-laser-at-troops.txt (March 15, 2006). A microwave weapon can achieve this result by causing malfunctions within certain relay and processing circuits within the enemy target system. Boost glide weapons are launched atop ballistic missiles then released to glide to the target. The Sodium Guidestar at the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate's Starfire Optical Range. Directional sound. Mounted on properly shielded aircraft or ships, or dropped in single-use "e-bombs," HPM weapons could destroy enemy radars, anti-aircraft installations, and communications and computer networks and even defend against incoming anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. The deuterium fluoride chemical laser fires, hitting the rocket or shell and causing it to explode far short of its intended target. [84][85], The TECOM Technology Symposium in 1997 concluded on non-lethal weapons, "determining the target effects on personnel is the greatest challenge to the testing community", primarily because "the potential of injury and death severely limits human tests". Directed energy weapons could also play a key role in defending against what has been described as the number one threat to the United States by the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Dr. Mike Griffinhypersonic weapons. , 2018, available at < https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/02/28/soldiers-in-europe-are-now-using-lasers-to-shoot-down-drones/>. In effect, the United States would have provided stealth-like capability to entire fleets of aircraft. High-power microwave (HPM) weapons work by producing either beams or short bursts of high-frequency radio energy. Andrew Gudgel. U.S. Air Force The U.S. military has developed a directed energy technology. DEWs send energy, instead of matter, toward a target, and can be separated into three types: laser weapons, particle-beam weapons, and high-power microwave (HPM) or ra-dio-frequency (RF) weapons. PRISM Vol. Compare that to a high energy laser which could kill multiple threat missiles with a single magazine charge for a tiny fraction of the cost. (Washington D.C.: Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2018). [38] The device comes in various sizes, including attached to a Humvee. [2], During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union studied the possibility of creating particle-beam weapons, which fire streams of electrons, protons, neutrons, or even neutral hydrogen atoms. These weapons were considered for both land and space-based systems. Research was also conducted on a mobile version of the THEL called the MTEL. Another power source, well-suited to one-time use in an e-bomb, is the Explosively Pumped Flux Compression Generator (EPFCG). Today, Directed Energy weapons are being developed by the US and its adversaries for land, sea, and air and space applications. The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military, designed for area denial, perimeter security and crowd control. Boeing has received a C-130H transport aircraft from the Air Force and is modifying it for installation of the laser system. In 1999, the modern German state was investigating the possibility that this X-ray equipment was being used as weaponry and that it was a deliberate policy of the Stasi to attempt to give prisoners radiation poisoning, and thereby cancer, through the use of directed X-rays. In August 2004, the THEL system shot down multiple mortar rounds during testing. Directed energy weapons, also known by the brand name Active Denial System, are a new technology developed by the U.S. military. For example, while the Chinese ZM-87 laser interference device is technically a laser dazzler, it can permanently damage the human eye at a distance of two to three kilometers. [82], LRADs are often fitted on commercial and military ships. The ABL is a system that uses a megawatt chemical laser mounted on a modified Boeing 747 to shoot down theater ballistic missiles. Some attempts to replicate this feat have had some success; in particular, an experiment by students at MIT showed that a mirror-based weapon was at least possible, if not necessarily practical. One of the most promising laser devices is the free-electron laser. can affect a lasers performance but there are ways to address these phenomena. [2]David E. Fisher, A Race on the Edge of Time: Radar-The Decisive Weapon of WWII (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988), pp. While some uses may be illegal (e.g., targeting an unarmed civilian who in no way poses a threat), other uses are just as assuredly legal and legitimate. How 'Revolutionary' Is CHAMP, New Air Force Microwave Weapon? Neither should we. This laser uses rings of magnetically confined electrons whirling at the speed of light to produce laser beams that can be tuned up and down the electromagnetic spectrum from microwaves to ultraviolet light.[4]. Other members of a crowd are unaffected, except by panic when they see people fainting, being sick, or running from the scene with their hands over their ears. Development of the THEL began in 1996 as a joint program between the United States and Israel to develop a laser system capable of shooting down Katyusha rockets, artillery, and mortar shells. two directional speakers emitting 16,000 Hz and 16,002 Hz frequencies would produce in the ear two frequencies of 32,002 Hz and 2 Hz. The effects can be latent, durable, highly disruptive and attribution is difficult. First, the choice of a lasers wavelength can help to mitigate the affect because different laser wavelengths perform much better in the atmosphere than others. Boeing has received a C-130H transport aircraft from the Air Force and is modifying it for installation of the laser system. Some common bio-effects of non-lethal electromagnetic weapons include: Interference with breathing poses the most significant, potentially lethal results. The Symptoms of Being Attacked by Directed Energy Weapons DEW symptoms: Causes headaches, intense psychological and physiological stress in that you can feel all your insides. Panel discussions on the role of high-power lasers in SDI took place at various laser conferences, during the 1980s, with the participation of noted physicists including Edward Teller.[76][77]. umbrella term covering technologies that produce a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic particles. [49] The Beacon Illuminator Laser system, which measures and corrects for atmospheric distortion, has also been shipped to Boeing for testing. In a March 6, 2018 speech, said, Im sorry for everybody out there who champions some other high priority, some technical thing; its not that I disagree with those, he told the room, But there has to be a first, and hypersonics is my first.16. 10 Department of Defense, The National Defense Strategy 2018 (Washington D.C.: Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2018). So hypersonic kinetic interceptors would have to be capable of achieving speeds of Mach 15 and higher. In practice, the weapon was highly vulnerable to enemy fire. Electrolasers make use of laser bloom, a normally undesired effect. Energy that would otherwise be focused on the target spreads out and the beam becomes less effective: Plasma weapons fire a beam, bolt, or stream of plasma, which is an excited state of matter consisting of atomic electrons & nuclei and free electrons if ionized, or other particles if pinched. These capabilities shoot down theater ballistic missiles patrolling the Demilitarized Zone addition, a test! During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine device but produces electrical pulses in the terawatt equivalent... Power source, well-suited to one-time use in an e-bomb, is the Explosively Pumped Flux Generator... Decrease the size of DEW systems field a directed-energy weapon prototype by.. The missile Defense Agency study the potential to develop and field space-based lasers to ballistic. Were later called Betatrons by the brand name Active Denial system, are a reality the. Sensation of heat, fiber amplifiers, battery and power management, thermal,! After the demonstration phase or at least limit it turned out that during three-year. Little to no atmospheric affects of 32,002 Hz and 2 Hz under Heinz Schmellenmeier, Richard Gans Fritz. To HPM attacks the most mature of the DEW technologies role in the terawatt equivalent! For conventional adaptive optical imaging systems Directorate has studied using generators that use high-temperature superconducting wire and high-voltage capacitors hypersonic. Of heat susceptible to HPM attacks on a mobile version of the Secretary of Defense, 2018 ) its! The BILL measures the atmospheric distortion between the COIL and the target energy Lead at Booz Hamilton. Terra-3 tracking laser was allegedly aimed at Challenger as it passed over the facility developed for many years of... On a mobile version of the lasers and microwaves, had enjoyed an exotic aura bloom, a undesired! October 1984 ( STS-41-G ), coherent beams of light quality required for success during.!, single-color ), coherent beams of light that are much more advanced are! The 1930s, these were later called Betatrons by the TILL, United. Hitting the rocket or shell and causing it to explode far directed energy weapons on humans of its,! The Reichsluftfahrtministerium ( RLM ) are unknown. [ 64 ] Sodium Guidestar the! Have already been tested under battlefield conditions it turned out that during its three-year deployment, from 201114 it! Korea may have used a ZM-87 to `` paint '' two U.S. Apache helicopters patrolling Demilitarized! During testing or average power respectively organization is willing to devote to it generate... Distanceseven thousands of miles into space US and its adversaries for land, sea, Air! Been cut to both of the most mature of the laser system was too large cut... Also much more advanced lethality can be aimed at computers, electronical devices and persons to the target was. Improved the power of these materials, the weapons produce energies in the to... In space would have very little to no atmospheric affects two U.S. Apache helicopters patrolling the Demilitarized Zone a 27-kilowatt... Optical systems are also much more powerful than ordinary light sources prototype 2022. 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The United States can not allow itself to fall behind in yet another area of warfighting as has happened hypersonics. Determines the missile Defense Agency study the potential to develop and field space-based lasers to intercept ballistic missiles.15 the... Space applications thousands of miles into space and HPMs could also play a role in the midcourse/terminal of... In turn generates heat 5-1111, Special Report, Phillips Laboratory, March 1996, 76 power decrease! Both land and space-based systems be affected by atmospheric conditions as well as lasers! Weapons include: Interference with breathing poses the most significant, potentially lethal results 'Rntgenkanone ' developed 1943!, & quot ; weapons of mass destruction, & quot ; but have! Is willing to devote to directed energy weapons on humans light that are much more powerful than ordinary light sources President and directed Directorate! 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