REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The future of warfare was on full display as the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, came home to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command headquarters Dec. 16-17.
While at the headquarters, USASMDC/ARSTRAT Soldiers and civilians were able to see HEL MD firsthand, and were briefed on many aspects, including the unique single platform for target acquisition, tracking, aim point selection, and destruction of selected targets. Also briefed were vehicle, laser and beam control system components, electrical power systems, recent testing, plans for integrating a 50 kw-class laser, and the type of target engagements conducted during multiple test events at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility, White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and also at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
"We wanted to let the people at the command who have not had a chance to see HEL MD before get a chance to see it up close," said Terry Bauer, HEL MD program manager. "The comments have been pretty favorable from the people who have seen it. Most of them have been impressed."
The HEL MD is being developed to show directed energy force protection capabilities against rockets, artillery, mortars, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. The HEL MD program is managed by SMDC's Technical Center.
Initial system effectiveness was proven through low and medium power test demonstration that took place in 2011. The demonstration and testing confirms the capability of a mobile solid state laser weapon system to counter mortars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors mounted on the UAVs.
"The Army is very excited about HEL MD. It represents a game-changing technology," said Richard P. De Fatta, acting SMDC Technical Center director. "The number one killer of soldiers has been indirect fire from things like rockets, artillery and mortars. Right now, one of the biggest problems we have is unmanned aerial vehicles. Those things are small, hard to see and hard to kill. A laser is perfect for that.
"The next step will be to put in a larger more powerful laser and continue our demonstration process. If you put twice as much power out you get twice as much range, or you kill something in half as much time," he added.
The recent testing utilized a 10 kW-class laser. In the future, a 50 kW-class laser will be integrated into the HEL MD platform. The 50 kW laser is scheduled to be upgraded to a 100 kW class laser in subsequent demonstrations. The supporting thermal and power subsystems will also be upgraded to support the increasingly powerful solid state lasers. These upgrades increase the effective range of the laser or decrease required lase time on target.
The HEL MD beam director rotates 360 degrees to provide full sky coverage and extends above the roof of the vehicle to engage below-the-horizon targets. As technology matures, higher power lasers will integrate with improved pointing and tracking capabilities to extend range and increase system effectiveness.
"HEL MD uses a solid state laser that runs off of batteries," De Fatta said. "The only limitation you will have in the field is how much fuel you have to run the generator that powers the batteries. For a cup full of fuel you can shoot down a target. This is a good thing for the future Warfighters and how we defend them on the battlefield."
The HEL MD program objective is to demonstrate a rugged, mobile solid state laser system that meets the size, weight and performance needs of the Army. When testing is completed, HEL MD will consist of a ruggedized and supportable high energy laser and subsystems installed on a tactical military vehicle that will be capable of demonstrating area joint force protection to forward operating bases, naval installations, air bases and other facilities.
To obtain that capability, multiple subsystems are in development to integrate into the prototype weapon system, including the laser subsystem; beam control subsystem; electrical power subsystem; thermal management subsystem; and Battle Management Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence subsystem. These subsystems will be mounted on a customized Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, or HEMTT.
"I am proud of all the work people have done on HEL MD and the great progress we've made," Bauer said. "It is a demonstration platform that can inform the Army on what directed energy can do for them and we hope to be able to prove the technology is able to move us forward."
Social Sharing