Indirect Laser Detection and Characterization Device

High energy laser (HEL) technologies are advancing rapidly in both US and foreign programs.Ý US forces will face these emerging threats in the future and need sensors to provide situational awareness, threat activity characterization, threat location and countermeasure cueing.Ý Specifically, sensors are needed that provide advanced warning by detecting HEL precursors or that characterize and locate the threats by detecting off-axis scatter from atmospheric aerosols.Ý Sensing Strategies, Inc. (SSI) is proposing to evaluate the feasibility of accomplishing this mission for three different designs of varying size, weight and power (SWAP) with corresponding different levels of information content and threat coverage based on the SWAP.Ý Sensor concepts will include man-portable or wearable sensors, sensors carried by unmanned airborne vehicles and fixed site sensors.ÝÝ SSI has extensive experience modeling and measuring atmospheric scatter of low and high energy laser beams and has designed and fielded sensors that detect and quantify atmospheric scattered radiation.Ý This combination of skills and experience will allow us to efficiently evaluate the different concepts and recommend one to fabricate under the Phase 1 program as a lab demo. ÝA plan will be developed under Phase 1 for fabricating a field deployable prototype under Phase II. Ý