weapons? Recent advances in lasers, optics, and spacecraft technologies may bring high-energy laser weapons to a sufficient level of maturity for serious consideration as space weapons against the theater ballistic missile threat. However, these technological advances also make other architectures possible, such as the use of terrestrial laser sources with space-based relay mirrors or a mixed force of space-based lasers with orbiting relay mirrors. An important question is how these dramatic technology improvements have affected the strategic employment concepts for high-energy laser weapons. This study presents a comparison of competing space-based architectures given the progress made with high-energy lasers, large optics, and atmospheric compensation techniques within the past several years. Three space-based architectures are evaluated against the potential ballistic missile threat: space-based lasers, ground-based lasers in conjunction with orbiting mirrors, and a combined approach using space-based lasers with orbiting mirrors. The study evaluates the technological risks and estimates the development and deployment costs. In addition, technology development programs are described for each of the architectures so that the high-risk areas will be better understood. The conclusion of this study is that the most technologically sound and cost-effective architecture is to use space-based lasers with orbiting mirrors. This approach not only minimizes the overall technological risk but also reduces the total weight and, therefore, cost of placing these weapon systems on orbit.
weapons? Recent advances in lasers, optics, and spacecraft technologies may bring high-energy laser weapons to a sufficient level of maturity for serious consideration as space weapons against the theater ballistic missile threat. However, these technological advances also make other architectures possible, such as the use of terrestrial laser sources with space-based relay mirrors or a mixed force of space-based lasers with orbiting relay mirrors. An important question is how these dramatic technology improvements have affected the strategic employment concepts for high-energy laser weapons. This study presents a comparison of competing space-based architectures given the progress made with high-energy lasers, large optics, and atmospheric compensation techniques within the past several years. Three space-based architectures are evaluated against the potential ballistic missile threat: space-based lasers, ground-based lasers in conjunction with orbiting mirrors, and a combined approach using space-based lasers with orbiting mirrors. The study evaluates the technological risks and estimates the development and deployment costs. In addition, technology development programs are described for each of the architectures so that the high-risk areas will be better understood. The conclusion of this study is that the most technologically sound and cost-effective architecture is to use space-based lasers with orbiting mirrors. This approach not only minimizes the overall technological risk but also reduces the total weight and, therefore, cost of placing these weapon systems on orbit.
The Cold War threat that was characterized by a USSR launch of a large number of ballistic missiles towards the United States has been replaced today by an even less stable ballistic missile security...
The theater ballistic missile (TBM) problem encountered in the Persian Gulf War revealed an alarming deficiency in US defenses. This paper takes a brief look at the major theater missile defense...
The BiblioGov Project is an effort to expand awareness of the public documents and records of the U.S. Government via print publications. In broadening the public understanding of government and its...
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Defense's (DOD) Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System, focusing on the: (1) expected cost, schedule, and...
For almost three quarters of a century, the United States has spent billions of dollars and countless person-hours in the pursuit of a national missile defense system that would protect the country...
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