Hel-md, a mobile high-energy laser demonstrator, can beam a concentrated light beam at airborne targets. It disables drones and destroys incoming mortar shells. It uses lithium ion batteries, a 60-kilowatt-dielectric generator, and a custom system of high-tech sensors to track its targets while in flight.
According to Army officials, the HEL MD engaged more than 90 mortar rounds as well as several unmanned aerial vehicles during multiple tests at White Sands Missile Range last year. This success led to plans to boost the laser's power, with a goal of eventually boosting its strength to 100 kilowatts.
This could be an important step in defense against hypersonic bombers that fly at too high a speed to be struck by conventional weapons. The Army is already testing a 10kilowatt laser. In the future, it will test a 50kilowatt version. Finally, it will scale down to 100kilowatts.
As the technology continues to evolve, it is becoming an increasingly important weapon for warfighters. Lasers have the ability to disable many weapons thanks to their increasing power. Lasers can also be used to deflect airborne threats. The system has also been successfully deployed in maritime environments, showing that it is capable of tracking and engaging ships at sea.
A hel-md is designed to be operated by a vehicle operator and a weapon operator, whose job is to operate the laser. The two must work together. They will use an Xbox controller for controlling the laser's intensity, and a laptop to aim and track the laser.
The laser must be precise in its aiming to achieve desired beam focus. This can be achieved using 127 lenses, filters and mirrors to create a spot on the target that is as small as possible. This allows the laser beam to be focused onto the target and can even destroy it.
For this reason, the US Department of Defense has funded a number of projects that focus on improving the performance of hel-md. These projects include studies that aim at reducing the weight of laser systems, improving their accuracy, and making them more suitable for the Armed Forces.
These efforts include testing the effects of atmospheric conditions upon hel-md’s target tracking and acquisition abilities. For example, the program team conducted tests that tested a number of sensing modalities in the infrared spectrum to determine which ones would perform best when the system was operating in fog or rainy weather.
These studies will be the basis of future research into helmd's operational capabilities. It will also help evaluate how a laser weapon can perform in adverse weather conditions.
This project also examines the ability of this system to engage targets at greater ranges and in wider environmental conditions than prior high-energy radar systems. This will allow the system to defend against ground-based aircraft and missiles.