Combat aircraft

when the USAF will install a SHiELD laser

pod with less than 10kW of power onto an

F-15. Once in the air, the laser-armed F-15

will attempt to destroy aircraft and air-to-

air missiles targets at moderate range.

‘The development of high-power laser

systems like SHiELD show laser weapon

system technologies are becoming real’,

Rob Afzal of Lockheed Martin’s laser

weapons systems said. ‘The technologies

are ready to be produced, tested and

deployed on aircraft, ground vehicles

and ships.’

By 2029, the USAF wants full capability

installed on its future F-X sixth-

generation  ghter — to replace the F-15

and F-22 Raptor — which the  ying

branch could begin  elding around the

same time. This complete SHiELD system

will target enemy aircraft, anti-air and

air-to-ground missiles — and function

as the  ghter makes rapid maneuvers

at transonic and subsonic speeds at up

to 65,000ft.

One issue is power and providing

enough of it. To solve this problem the

F-X  ghter’s  ight control systems could

incorporate a radically new electric design

featuring a ‘combined-cycle’ engine that

stores up power for sensors, lasers or

other directed energy weapons. Another

concern is how to develop a laser that can

still cook an incoming missile or hostile

 ghter jet while adjusting for atmospheric

conditions such as clouds, turbulence

and jet exhaust which can degrade

the quality and range of the beam. The

USAF must also be willing to pay for this

while continuing to buy stealthy — and

expensive — F-35s.

An example of what the F-X could look

like is a Northrop Grumman concept

‘The USAF will install a SHiELD

laser pod with less than 10kW of

power onto an F-15. Once in the air,

the laser-armed F-15 will attempt

to destroy aircraft and air-to-air

missiles targets at moderate range’

revealed in 2015 resembling a smaller,

cranked-kite version of the company’s

bat-wing-shaped B-21 Raider — and

armed with lasers. Given the relatively

bulky shape and size, a real-life version

of this ‘ ghter’ would o set the loss of

maneuverability with the defensive

‘bubble’ provided by beam weapons,

zapping missiles and aircraft at the

speed of light.

The operating theory is that highly

maneuverable dog ghters simply couldn’t

get close enough to Northrop’s future

 ghter. To solve the turbulence problem,

the USAF could tap into Lockheed’s

experience with its ‘ABC’ turret — for Aero-

Adaptive, Aero-Optic Beam Control —

tested aboard a Dassault Falcon 10 bizjet.

This turret ‘senses’ subtle changes in the

atmosphere and compensates, keeping

the beam at high power.

The ill-fated

YAL-1A Airborne

Laser (ABL) seen

near Edwards

AFB, California

on February

14, 2012, as

it headed for

storage in

Arizona. USAF/

Bobbi Zapka

THE BRIEFING

25

January 2018 http://www.combataircraft.net

24-26 The Briefing C.indd 25 23/11/2017 11:55