DEWPOINT - AN ANTI-SENSOR SYSTEM FOR TERMINAL PHASE FLEET DEFENSE AGAINST OPTICAL AND RF HOMING MISSILES

THE DEWPOINT CONCEPT UTILIZES CO-ALIGNED HIGH POWER MICROWAVE AND MODERATE POWER LASER DEVICES TO IRRADIATE OPTICAL AND/OR RF RECEIVERS IN THE INCOMING ANTI-SHIP MISSILE. THIS FLEET DEFENSE WEAPON CONCEPT HAS THREE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS: 1. ABILITY TO PERMANENTLY OR INTERMITTENTLY DEBILITATE THE GUIDANCE/HOMING SUBSYSTEM OF ALL CLASSESOF THREAT ANTI-SHIP MISSILE EXCEPT PURE BALLISTIC NUCLEAR WARHEAD MISSILES. 2. NEAR-TERM DEPLOYMENT ON EXISTING SHIPS (I.E., BOLT-ON CAPABILITY BY EARLY 1990S) AND POTENTIAL FOR FAR-TERM DEPLOYMENT ON FLEET AIRCRAFT, 3. MAXIMAL EFFECTIVENESS WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE OFFBOARD RF/OPTICAL DECOYS AND JAMMERS. THE PROPOSED PHASE I EFFORT WILL EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE CONFIGURATIONS (RF AND OPTICAL SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES, FREQUENCY, WAVEFORM) FOR THE SHIPBORNE DEWPOINT SYSTEM AND DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN WHICH INCLUDES MICROWAVE AND LASER COMPONENTS, BEAM DIRECTOR, PRIME POWER, AND TARGETING.