LASER GUIDANCE AND FUZING SUBSYSTEM FOR KINETIC ENERGY WEAPONS

KINETIC ENERGY WEAPONS SYSTEMS SUCH AS GROUND-BASED EXOATMOSPHERIC RE-ENTRY VEHICLE INTERCEPTORS (ERIS) AND SPACE BASED INTERCEPTORS (SBI) PRESENTLY DO NOT USE LASER GUIDANCE AND FUZING SUBSYSTEM. IN THE HIGH AND ATMOSPHERIC DEFENSE INTERCEPTOR (HEDI) UNIT, A LASER IS USED, HOWEVER THIS GIMBAL-MOUNTED LASER IS EXPENSIVE AND IS OF SUBSTANTIAL SIZE AND WEIGHT. THE FEASIBILITY IS BEING INVESTIGATED OF AN ACTIVE (LASER ON THE INTERCEPTOR) GUIDANCE AND FUZING SUBSYSTEM USING A CHEMICAL FLASHLAMP PUMPED NEODYMIUM:CHROMIUM:GSGG LASER. THE LASER MATERIAL SHOWS A RADIATION HARDNESS LEVEL DESIRED FOR THIS APPLICATION. THE BULK OF THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION OF COMPLETE LASER PACKAGED IN LESS THAN ONE CUBIC INCH VOLUME. LOW COST/LOW MASS CHEMICALPUMPED SOLID STATE LASERS HAVE VARIOUS POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FROM VERY HIGH POWER LASERS FOR FUSION TO MINIATURE LASERS FOR DESIGNATORS, PARTICULARLY IN SPACE AND TRANSATMOSPHERIC SYSTEMS WHERE INPUT POWER REQUIREMENT AND SYSTEM WEIGHT ARE PRIME CONSIDERATIONS.