US Air Force abandons development of combat lasers
Mockup of a SHiELD container in a wind tunnel, 2021.
The Pentagon is showing great interest in the so-called. arms directed energy of various types and is developing a number of projects of this kind. In particular, in order to develop the air force, several programs have been launched in recent years to create combat lasers. Promising projects made it through the early stages, but then encountered serious difficulties. As a result, the Pentagon has to abandon them without getting the desired result.
Laser for self-defense
In the early 1900s, the Pentagon initiated the development of the concept of a combat laser suitable for installation on tactical aircraft aviation. It was proposed to use such weapons to destroy incoming missiles, to combat ground targets, etc. The theoretical development of this idea continued for several years, after which full-fledged experimental design work began under the name SHiELD (Self-protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator).
Several leading enterprises of the military-industrial complex with experience in the development of combat lasers took part in the competitive part of the SHiELD program. The overall coordination of the work was carried out by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The most successful project was proposed by Boeing, and in 2016 it was entrusted with further development of the program.
The AFRL and Boeing project envisaged the production of a combat laser complex in the form of a suspended container compatible with tactical aircraft. It was proposed to place the laser itself, guidance and control systems, as well as a power source inside such a container.
In the second half of the tenth years, the Boeing company produced several prototypes of the SHiELD product and conducted various tests. Tests were carried out on the stand and in the wind tunnel. In addition, in 2019, a mock-up of a container with a weight imitation of equipment was flown for the first time on an F-15 fighter.
Combat use of the SHiELD laser - only in graphic form
By the end of the last decade, SHiELD prototypes reached “fire” tests. Products of this kind were tested on stands in laboratories and test sites. The container's main systems have confirmed their functionality. Thus, in April 2019, a prototype placed on the ground was able to hit a flying target missile. However, there were still a lot of different tests to be carried out.
Apparently, already at the development stage, the SHiELD project encountered certain difficulties, which, in particular, forced a revision of the work schedule. Thus, in 2017, it was reported that flight tests of the laser container would begin in 2021. By the beginning of the next decade, such events were postponed to 2025. In this regard, the theoretical time frame for launching production and adopting SHiELD into service gradually shifted to the thirties.
Unexpected final
However, there was no need to revise the schedule again and shift the deadlines to the right. In addition, the program was not transferred to the next stage of testing, which involved the involvement of carrier aircraft. As it turned out, the Pentagon studied the current state of affairs and curtailed the work.
The completion of the program was reported on May 17 by the American online publication Military.com. It was able to contact SHiELD program manager from AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate, Ted Ortiz, and ask him pressing questions. A representative of the Laboratory responded to the publication and revealed the current state of affairs.
According to T. Ortiz, the SHiELD project has now been completed. All previously planned tests on ground stands were carried out. Flight tests were not carried out. AFRL currently has no plans to restart the program and conduct new tests in any given setting.
Airborne laser
In the mid-130s, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) initiated the development of a project to modernize the AC-XNUMXJ Ghostrider air support aircraft. It was proposed to change the weapons system again: the existing artillery decided to supplement it with missiles and a combat laser.
Plans for the development of aircraft laser weapons from 2013
The program to develop a laser with a power of tens of kilowatts, designed to destroy ground targets, was called AHEL (Airborne High Energy Laser - “Airborne High Energy Laser”). The first few years were spent on preliminary research and drawing up technical specifications, as well as conducting competitive development.
At the beginning of 2019, Lockheed Martin was chosen as the developer of the AHEL product. Over the next years, she had to complete the design of the combat laser, manufacture it and conduct tests, both on a ground stand and on a carrier aircraft. Flight tests of the new combat laser were going to begin in 2021.
Due to the overall complexity of the project, by the specified deadline they only managed to manufacture a prototype and transfer it for installation on a carrier aircraft. In parallel, ground tests were carried out, during which the calculated characteristics were generally confirmed. Based on the results of these events, it was reported that the set goals had been achieved and that the project would soon move to the next stage.
However, difficulties arose, and the work schedule was revised several times. The first flight of the AC-130J with a laser on board was constantly shifted to the right. So, in November 2023, AFSOC announced that flight tests will begin in January 2024 and will last until mid-year. As we now know, this did not happen.
Disappointed customer
Apparently, failures and delays during the development phase undermined the Pentagon's faith in the AHEL project. Seeing no clear prospects, the department began to reduce funding for this program. Thus, in the military budget for FY 2023. approx. was allocated for the laser for support aircraft. $15,4 million. In the current financial year, project costs have been reduced to 3 million. The military budget for next year is currently being developed, and AHEL is not included in it at all.
On March 19, 2024, Military.com reported on the current state of affairs. An AFSOC representative told him that the AHEL program had not met the required time frame and therefore it had been decided to abandon it. Flight tests, the start of which was delayed for several years, will not be carried out. Accordingly, the Air Force will not receive AC-130J aircraft with artillery, missiles and laser weapons.
AC-130J fire support aircraft with AHEL laser
However, AFRL and Lockheed Martin are not going to abandon the developments on the topic of combat laser. Work on this project will continue, and additional ground tests will be carried out. These activities will ensure that the design is refined in order to obtain the required level of combat performance and reliability. It is assumed that the resulting laser will be of interest to other departments and structures.
Subtotals
Thus, the next two attempts by the US Air Force to obtain laser weapons for aircraft did not give the desired result. The SHiELD and AHEL projects reached the stage of preliminary testing, but they decided not to conduct full tests of prototype weapons. Both programs were closed due to the lack of the desired result. However, the possibility of using their developments in new projects is not excluded.
It is easy to see that both programs were closed for similar reasons. The AHEL and SHiELD projects proved difficult to implement, and their developers were unable to meet deadlines. It is also likely that it was not possible to achieve the assigned tasks within the allocated budget.
All this shows that the development of combat lasers, regardless of the requirements or platforms offered, remains a complex undertaking. To create such a weapon requires solving a number of difficult engineering and technical problems, and the desired result is not guaranteed. In addition, additional difficulties may arise. Thus, in the case of the SHiELD and AHEL projects, the designers had to take into account the characteristic limitations of aircraft and suspended containers.
Obviously, developing a combat laser with a power of several tens of kilowatts that can fit into a compact container or does not take up much space inside the cabin has proven to be an extremely difficult task for the current level of technology development. Probably, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were able to offer certain solutions, but in general their samples were far from perfect and did not meet all customer requirements. It was necessary to fine-tune the projects, which could take an unknown amount of time.
In general, the Pentagon’s decision to close two laser weapons projects, which in the past seemed promising and promising, looks logical and understandable. However, to reach such a decision, it took several years and tens of millions of dollars. It is unlikely that the accumulated experience and understanding of the problems justifies such costs.
Information