FOUR MAJOR CLASSES OF DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS ARE BEING EVALUATED FOR DEFENSE AGAINST ICBMS: CW LASER, PULSE LASER, PARTICLE BEAMS, AND X-RAY LASERS.

FOUR MAJOR CLASSES OF DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS ARE BEING EVALUATED FOR DEFENSE AGAINST ICBMS: CW LASER, PULSE LASER, PARTICLE BEAMS, AND X-RAY LASERS. THE VULNERABILITY AND FIRST-ORDER HARDENING METHODS FOR AN EXISTING U.S. ICBM (PEACEKEEPER) WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND EVALUATED IN THE PROPOSED EFFORT. THE CRITICAL COMPONENTS,THEIR RESPONSE DURING IRRADIATION AND THEIR EFFECT ON OVERALL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE WILL BE ANALYZED FOR EACH CLASS OF DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON. THE FAILURE MODES AND THE LEVEL OF THREAT IRRADIATION FOR COMPONENT FAILURE WILL BE DETERMINED. FIRST-ORDER HARDENING METHODS WILL BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND EVALUATED TO ASSESS HARDNESS AND IMPLICATIONS ON THE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.