Vol. 17, No. 3, Summer 2017
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Canadian Military Journal 53
MILITARY TECHNOLOGY
High Energy Laser Weapon Systems: Evolution,
Analysis and Perspectives
Dominik Pudo h
olds a bachelor degree in engineering and
a Ph.D. from McGill University, specialized in fiber optics and
photonics systems. He has worked as a visiting researcher at the
University of Sydney, Australia, and held the position of post-
doctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As
a defence scientist within Defence Research and Development
Canada, he is currently the scientific authority for a number of
research initiatives related to laser technologies.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jake Galuga has served as a Combat
Engineer officer with numerous and varied field and staff tours,
including four overseas deployments. In 2009, he completed his
Master’s degree in Defence Engineering Management at the
Royal Military College of Canada. From 2011–2016, he was
involved with requirements, procurement, and management of
combat engineer and Counter-IED equipment. Lieutenant-Colonel
Galuga is currently Section Head for Capability Integration at
the Directorate of Land Force Development within Canadian
Army Headquarters.
Historical Perspective
F
rom the dawn of military warfare history, nearly
every weapon relied upon a rapid transfer of
destructive energy onto a target,
1
with an ‘inter-
mediate’ consisting of a physical projectile.
Technological progress then allowed for the deliv-
ery method to evolve from direct hits to ballistic trajectories
and propulsion-driven flight, while the kinetic (the speed of
the projectile multiplied by its mass) energy delivered on
target got augmented by the chemical energy released from
explosive warheads. The basic physical paradigm remained
unchanged. However, even the sophistication of modern mili-
tary platforms and missiles do not preclude the fact that the
underlying mechanism of neutralization is still based upon a
physical projectile which has to reach its objective.
2
It was the invention of the laser in the early-1960s
3
that
stemmed a vision of a breakthrough approach – that of a directed
energy weapon,
4
obliterating targets by the means of an instan-
taneous linear energy beam. Although successful in a limited
number of demonstrations, early lasers able to generate sufficient
powers so as to damage a target at the required range were both
extremely complex and suffering from a large footprint. Known
as chemical high energy lasers
5
(HELs), as the process used to
generate the laser beam was an exothermic reaction between
chemical substances, the systems inherently bore a resemblance
to rocket engines – augmented by the addition of state-of-the art
fragile optics inside, testifying to their complexity. Work on these
Megawatt-class systems nevertheless continued, driven by their
envisioned employment paradigm as point defence systems against
missiles, the primary threat of interest during the Cold War era.
Despite tremendous engineering challenges, they matured into a
number of successful, if not incredible military demonstrators,
among which were the Tactical High Energy Laser
6
(THEL)
and the Airborne Laser Laboratory
7
(ABL), on board a modified
Boeing 747 platform.
by Dominik Pudo and Jake Galuga
The Sodium Guidestar laser at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Starfire Optocal Range, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
DVIDS/David Vergun/Photo 2455273
