REQUIREMENTS FOR PERUVIAN NAVY SEA INTERDICTIONS USING A UAV-BASED HIGH ENERGY LASER

Abstract

It is well known that the South Pacific coasts have significant illegal activities such as drug trafficking and forbidden fishing. The government of Peru is concerned about these issues, delegating the responsibility of suppressing the problems to the Peruvian Navy. The Peruvian Navy conducts Maritime Interdiction Operations, and in recent years, specialized patrol boats have been used for easier and more direct interdictions, but they have limited velocity and engagement range. UAV-HEL (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle based High Energy Laser) weapons would overcome those limitations potentially enabling long-range engagements without damaging people or cargo. This research establishes requirements for size, weight and power for a UAV-based HEL to engage and effect damage on a target. Modeling tools are used to estimate irradiance on the target in various Peruvian coastal conditions and engagement geometries to estimate the required dwell time to damage or disable the target. Based on the results, the viability of a UAV-HEL for this application is addressed.