Advanced Systems and Technologies for Future Naval Warfare Electric Fusion Power for Submarines, Surface and Space Ships

Future naval warfare could require higher-speed, greater coverage, and more powerful weapons in a sub-to-space fleet. Large power will be needed to drive advanced Propulsion and armaments (e.g. directed energy weapons) on the ships of this fleet. High-speed surface ships could be hydrofoils of cruiser class tonnage. With sufficient electric drive power these could cruise at 100-160 kts, and present very poor targets for attack while giving complete local control of the sea surface. fn addition, much higher-power submarines, running on radiation-free quiet direct-electric drive, would expand the strike and defensive capabilities of the current undersea fleet. Concurrently, deployment of major manned space ships as space-based battle stations, with high-energy electric lasers for space and sea surface attack, would give the Navy great surveillance and monitoring capabilities, as well as enhanced communications. This sub/sea/space Navy of the 21st Century . could provide complete control of the sea lanes on a global basis. All three systems require a new order of electric power system performance. The proposed program will analyze a new concept for direct fusion-electric power, with no nuclear radiation hazards and little waste heat loads, currently DoD-funded, for such power systems, and apply these to future Navy missions.