LASER DEFENSE STUDY - THE EFFECT OF ACTIVE U.S. COUNTERMEASURES ON LAYERED LASER DEFENSE SYSTEMS (LLDS)

THE CONCEPT OF EMPLOYING DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS OPERATING AT NEAR THE SPEED OF LIGHT OF DESTROY BALLISTIC MISSILES OFFERS PROMISE OF THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION FOR PROTECTION AGAINST BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACKS. ALTHOUGH THE METHOD OF KILL OF DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS IS BOTH NOVEL, FAST AND LONG RANGE, THE FUNCTIONING AND CAPABILITY OF A LAYERED DEFENSE SYSTEM (LLDS) IS DEPENDENT ON SENSORS, BATTLE MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND TIMELINES AS WELL AS THE LASER DEVICES THEMSELVES AND THEIR METHOD OF KILL. MOST OF THESE FUNCTIONS WILL REQUIRE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS TO BECOME FEASIBLE. CONCEPTUALLY,IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CREATE ACTIVE COUNTERMEASURES TO AN LLDS WHICH WILL DEGRADE ONE OR MORE FUNCTIONS CRUCIAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SYSTEM. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A METHODOLOGY FOR CREATING AND EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF ACTIVE U.S. COUNTERMEASURES ON AN LLDS, AND TO APPLY THAT METHOD IN A SYSTEM STUDY TO EVALUATE TWO POTENTIAL ACTIVE U.S. COUNTERMEASURES. THE METHOD INCLUDES A MEANS OF DETERMINING, THROUGH SIMULATION, THE MOST LIKELY LLDS WHICH MAY BE DEPLOYED, AND THE EVALUATION OF THE PAYOFF OF CANDIDATE ACTIVE COUNTERMEASURES TO THE LLDS THUS ALLOWING U.S. BALLISTIC MISSILES TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES.