LASER ORDNANCE IGNITION SYSTEMS

A PROPOSAL IS SET FORTH TO INVESTIGATE, DEVELOP, AND DEMONSTRATE IMPROVED METHODS TO COUPLE LASER ENERGY INTO PROJECTILE WEAPONS FOR INITIATION OF PRIMERS, PROPELLANTS, AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE MEDIA. TO INITIATE A PRIMER, PROPELLANT OR OTHER EXPLOSIVE MEDIA, METHODS TO RELIABLY COUPLE AND DIRECT HIGH ENERGY LASER LIGHT THROUGH THE BREACH ARE NEEDED. TO ALLOW CONTINUED RESEARCH INTO THE OPTIMAL WAVELENGTHS NEEDED TO PERFORM THE INITIATION AND TO QUALIFY THE BEST LASER SOURCE, A BREACH PENETRATOR MUST OPERATE REPEATABLY, AND RELIABLY OVER A WIDE RANGE OF OPTICAL WAVELENGTHS AND OPTICAL POWER DENSITIES. WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE AND DEMONSTRATE IMPROVED METHODS TO COUPLE A WIDE VARIETY OF LASER SOURCES THROUGH THE BREACH USING OPTICAL FIBER BASED PENETRATORS FOR THE PURPOSE TO IGNITE BOTH CONVENTIONAL PRIMER AND IGNITER MATERIALS. IN ADDITION, WE WILL INVESTIGATE METHODS TO INTRODUCE CONSUMABLE OPTICAL FIBERS EMBEDDED WITHIN A PROPELLANT CHARGE AND TO REVIEW OTHER METHODS TO INTRODUCE LASER LIGHT INTO SHELL CASINGS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPTICAL PENETRATORS ABLE TO WITHSTAND REPEATABLE AND RAPID FIRINGS WOULD YIELD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN METHODS TO SAFELY INITIATE PROPELLANTS WITH IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY AND CONTROL.