Compact High Energy Laser Beam Director

Optical Physics Company will finalize the design, manufacture, and test at low and high power an affordable, single-aperture, targettracking, atmospheric-correction, compact prototype beam director for a High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system to be employed by a US Navy platform during the Phase II Base, Option 1 and Option 2 programs.  The compact prototype beam will meet Navy requirements include capability to handle 300 kW of HEL power, an elevation range of -30o to +80o and azimuth range of 360o, a closed loop pointing accuracy of < 1 microradian, a volume compatible with existing Navy platform mast configurations, a housing that can withstand 100 psi without leakage and a 20G shock acceleration, and a 12” diameter aperture.  During the Phase II Base program, OPC will complete the final design of the prototype compact HEL beam director and present a CDR.  Once approved by the customer, OPC will purchase and assemble all components and modules including software coding to produce a compact prototype HEL beam director without atmospheric compensation capability.  Space for an existing OPC deformable mirror will be included in the beam director design in the Phase II Base program.   In Phase II Option 1 an existing OPC deformable mirror will be integrated into the prototype compact HEL beam director and tested for functionality and performance.  In addition, both a high powered HEL 1070 nm unpolarized fiber laser and a low power 532 nm linearly polarized diode pumped solid state probe laser will be purchased.  These laser will then be integrated into the compact prototype HEL beam director for testing in the Phase II Option 2 program.  In Phase II Option 2 the compact prototype HEL beam director will be tested and performance verified at lower laser powers tracking and hitting targets in various atmospheric and dynamic conditions.  These tests will then be repeated at high laser power at a designated Navy facility.