In the United States are developing lasers that can protect the aircraft from the rear hemisphere

In the USA, they are working on the creation of a military laser complex, which will be installed on board the aircraft and will be able to shoot down objects flying behind the aircraft. A well-known company Lockheed Martin is currently working on the project, which reported on the successful completion of the first test cycle of its new-generation laser turret. The company is working on a laser turret in conjunction with experts from the University of Notre Dame and the US Air Force Research Laboratory. The customer is the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA). During the tests, according to the company's specialists, the experimental aircraft carried out 8 sorties. Tests were conducted in the sky over the state of Michigan.

On board the experimental aircraft was installed a new laser gun, which received the designation Aero-adaptive Aero-optic Beam Control (ABC). This setup allows you to direct the laser beam at almost any angle. In the future, such an installation can be used to intercept missiles flying both above and below the aircraft, as well as behind the aircraft.

Software and optical stabilization system, created by engineers at Lockheed Martin, can compensate for the effect of turbulence, which occurs due to the fact that the combat part of the laser system protrudes from the aircraft fuselage. According to Doug Graham, who holds the post of vice president for promising programs of the company, the first tests of the laser turret allow us to speak with confidence about the viability of the proposed development and its existing potential.

At one time, some models of bombers, as well as military transport aircraft aviation received fodder cannon mounts, which were used to provide effective protection against enemy fighter aircraft. It can be noted that such a defensive system, built on the basis of a modern laser emitter, can be much more effective due to the use of unlimited ammunition. Already laser weapon It has high shooting accuracy, it can be used to intercept enemy missiles. In this case, laser weapons have low side effects. With the proper level of development, it will be possible to equip not only bulky planes, but also attack aircraft and fighters with laser installations. At the same time, the initial tests of the laser company Lockheed Martin conducted on an airplane, which is classified as a business jet.

The ABC turret is created by order of the DARPA agency specifically for high power lasers, which are designed to hit guided missiles and airplanes in all directions. The system has a very high mobility and is equipped with a system of stabilizers that are able to compensate for possible turbulence in flight.

The agency allocated 2013 million dollars to the combat laser development program for the ABC project in January 9,5. The main objective of the program is to provide the aircraft with protection from the rear hemisphere, knocking down targets that approach the aircraft from the tail. ABC is a solid-state laser, which is able to produce only short pulses. In contrast to this system, another development - the HELLADS aircraft liquid laser, the creation of which is also funded by the DARPA agency, can ensure the continuous operation of the laser beam. The problem with this development is that its continuous operation requires a serious cooling system, which takes up a lot of space.

The main objective of the HELLADS project is to develop a laser complex that would have power in 150 kW with a relatively small mass - 750 kg and a small volume (in various sources it is indicated from 2 to 3 cubic meters). It is assumed that the compact dimensions of such a laser system will allow it to be used in jet fighters or even in relatively small army HMMWV vehicles. The main purpose of such a laser machine is to destroy ground-to-air missiles, as well as grenades, which are fired from grenade launchers. If the developers manage to keep within the weight indicated above, such an installation will be 10 times easier and smaller than the existing analogues.

Modern defensive-type lasers will receive adaptive optics, which, with the help of the function of controlling the shape of mirrors and lenses, will be able to maintain the maximum level of installation efficiency, despite the negative impact of a number of external adverse factors. As part of the agreements with the agency DARPA, Lockheed Martin created a prototype laser turret and tested it in a wind tunnel. In the future, the laser was placed on board a small jet aircraft. According to experts, such a laser turret can become an effective means of protecting various aircraft from attacks from the rear hemisphere, and will also increase the level of protection of modern military aircraft.

At the same time, modern, already tested lasers were able to prove their effectiveness in intercepting small artillery shells, rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles. Among other things, it is planned that in the future the laser installation will be able to disable the homing missiles, blind the pilot and damage the skin of enemy aircraft.

Earlier in the press it was already reported about the plans of the US Air Force to equip the new 6 generation fighter jets with laser guns, which should be put into service after the 2030 year. At the same time, the first tests required for new aircraft lasers are planned for the 2022 year. Along with this, at the end of 2011, the United States Air Force completely closed the ABL aviation laser program, which was intended to destroy air targets. Work on this laser system took 16 years, but in the end the project was considered too costly.

Information sources:
http://rusplt.ru/world/ugroza-szadi-12865.html
http://pro-samolet.ru/blog-pro-samolet/605-laser-turret-for-military-aircraft
http://hi-news.ru/technology/darpa-osnastit-istrebiteli-lazernymi-turelyami.html
http://war-news.ru/avia/175-lazernymi-turelyami-osnastyat-boevye-samolety.html
http://lenta.ru/news/2014/09/16/abclaser

Comments

[bmv04636]

As I understand, our Tu with a nuclear reactor is just what the doctor ordered. But is it not better to install all this on an airship and a nuclear reactor and a powerful laser and fry everyone from the stratosphere.

[Wiruz]

It is time to start developing combat lasers in Russia already, we are lagging behind.

[Bastion ammur]

Come on, if it were something interesting, it would be sealed and not replicated all over the world, and all tests would be carried out on the sly, in some "51 zones". In print, it means crap. The same (I hope) is happening with us, for the public - one thing, for ourselves in over-secret laboratories.

[chunga-changa]

Everything works a little differently for them. If you want money, show it, and even better advertise the idea and samples. Someone interested in the profile will be given money. Then you need to regularly show the result, otherwise the program will be closed, there will be no money. And only then, if possible, the manufacturing and control technology, real combat characteristics are secreted.

[T-100]

It is time to start developing combat lasers in Russia already, we are lagging behind.

How do you know we're lagging behind? Because nothing is advertised anywhere? It's funny. The Shkval torpedo-missile was generally accepted into service in 1977, and publicly learned about it in 2000, after the tragedy with the Course.

[Dragon-y]

In the photo there is no second aircraft - on which a nuclear reactor will be installed to power this laser. And I wonder - how will the laser work in a dense cloud layer? (or across multiple layers of clouds)

[Gbanderlog]

Just like a marine laser, when they tried to burn the engine at a rubber boat from 150 meters for half an hour.

[user]

Weather conditions and energy demand very much offset the success of such projects.

[Svetlana]

heavy hydro-stealth-helicopter-amphibian with an onboard nuclear power plant. Equipped with a rotating disk-shaped wing with a blade rim around the perimeter. The span of the disk-shaped wing is 81.5m. Lifting force with vertical take-off is 720tn. Payload 120tn. Heat carrier YaEU-flyb, it is cooled by compressed air from the air compressor.

[Horobor]

And tell me, Svetlana, how many kg / h of air will be required to cool your reactor.

[Svetlana]

It depends on the maximum horizontal flight speed we want to get. To achieve the cruising horizontal flight speed of 650 km / h, less than 1600 kg / s of air will be required to cool the fast neutron reactor. Instead of nuclear power plants, 2 pcs of NK-93 dual-circuit kerosene engines can be used

[Svetlana]

Disc-shaped wing with magnetic bearings. In a vertical entry, the exhaust of the high-pressure fuel pump is directed inside the disk-shaped wing and then through the tangential nozzles on the perimeter of the disk into the atmosphere. After take-off, the exhaust is switched by horizontal air draft to the atmosphere, the vanes of the blade blade on the perimeter of the disk are turned into a horizontal plane. ring transformer in the area of ​​magnetic bearings.

[bmv04636]

And at one time we had a project to deploy satellites with mirrors for lighting the Arctic

[Svetlana]

Top view of a flying saucer - amphibian. Hot air exhaust through the rectangular nozzles of the onboard turbofan engines.

[Denimax]

Quote: Wiruz

It is time to start developing combat lasers in Russia already, we are lagging behind.

In Russia, the experience of high-power lasers seems to already exist.
It remains a matter of compactness and guidance system.

[290980]

they’re not so stupid)))

[no matter who i am]

If they talk about a new project, then it has long been implemented, or has no future. Do you think Americans have no secret projects?

[Uzer 13.]

Such a laser can be useful as an auxiliary means of protection, but you should not have high hopes for it. You can make the rocket maneuvering, rotating, or simply install a reflector in the front. It is unlikely that anyone from the back hemisphere will approach a well-protected laser without a laser The effectiveness of the laser against shells is also in great doubt. If the shell is a simple metal (or even ceramic) blank, then it can be heated for a very long time by a laser beam, and there will be very little sense in this.

[studentmati]

Combat Lasers of Russia

Russia began to develop in the field of tactical laser weapons before the United States and has in its arsenal prototypes of high-precision chemical warfare lasers. The first such installation was tested by us in 1972. Even then, the domestic mobile “laser gun” was able to successfully hit air targets. According to some experts: “Since then, Russia's capabilities in this area have increased significantly, and the United States has to catch up with us.” Now much more funds are being allocated for these works, which will undoubtedly lead to further success.

So in 2013, by order of the Russian Ministry of Defense, work continued on the creation of combat lasers capable of hitting aircraft, satellites and ballistic missiles. The development of lasers is carried out by the Almaz-Antey air defense concern, the Beriev Aviation Scientific and Technical Concern, and the Khimpromavtomatika company.

The Beriev TANTK resumed work on the modernization of the A-60 flying laboratory (based on the IL-76 transporter), which was used to develop new laser technologies. The flying laboratory is based at the airport near Taganrog.

To promote and develop laser technology, Russia will build the world's most powerful laser. The superlaser in Sarov will occupy an area of ​​approximately two football fields, and at the highest point will reach the size of a 10-story building. The installation will have 192 laser channels and a huge laser pulse energy, it is about two megajoules for the American and French, and about 1.5-2 times more for the Russian one.

A superlaser will make it possible to create huge densities and temperatures in matter, similar to those that occur on stars, for example, on the Sun. In the future, we can talk about generating fusion energy on a new principle - laser fusion. It will be a competitor to the ITER installation under construction in France, which is based on the tokamak system. In addition, the superlaser will in laboratory conditions simulate the processes that were observed during the tests of thermonuclear weapons. Construction costs are estimated at approximately 1,16 billion euros.

[Zeus]

It looks like another bike, where is this super laser? The Yankees have been testing for a long time, n.p. as a means of defense. Let’s see, about 5 years old, when they’ll build it, then it will be possible to talk about the Russian laser superior to French and American by 2 times.

[Mountain shooter]

Combat aircraft laser - physically unattainable task. I already wrote about this. Lasers easily disable optoelectronic systems, homing heads and ... the eyes of pilots of attacking aircraft. But to bring down all this physically - the atmosphere will not. It is impossible to achieve the required power density at the required distances without laser breakdown of the atmosphere.

[psiho117]

Quote: Mountain Shooter

Combat aircraft laser - physically unattainable task. I already wrote about this.

nothing, now the inhabitants of the Promised Land will come running and prove that you are wrong

[Mountain shooter]

High-energy weapons (beam, plasma, laser) have a natural limitation in power density in the atmosphere, for a laser this phenomenon is called laser breakdown of the atmosphere. By the way, this value decreases with height, in the presence of scattering particles (fog, clouds, dust) - too. The lasers used for thermonuclear laser fusion are multi-beam systems operating in an ideal dust-free atmosphere, operating simultaneously from all directions. A speck of dust that has landed on an optical element in such a system is a disaster; it "explodes" on the surface and spoils it, disabling this element. And the whole installation has to be sorted out and re-configured.
The physical limitation can be bypassed by using several lasers with "subcritical" beam power, simultaneously focused on one target. But to achieve such synchronization in battle is still an unbearable task for modern guidance and control systems. Therefore, transmission lines (high voltage power lines) easily deliver energy over long distances. But if you want to raise the voltage in these lines by an order of magnitude (tenfold), then an air breakdown is inevitable, and the energy will not reach anywhere.

[voyaka uh]

"But to achieve such synchronization in battle is still an impossible task
for modern guidance and control means "////

We have achieved such synchronization. You can congratulate fellow physicists
and engineers from the USA and Israel .

[Peacemaker]

And what prevents the rocket from painting with silver? Or a fighter, not the whole, but at least from the front sphere. Blinding a pilot is also a solvable matter.

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