Viable short-term directed energy weapon naval solutions: a systems analysis of current prototypes

Abstract

With conventional weapons nearing their peak capability, the need to identify alternative war fighting solutions suggests a look at Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs). The goal is to change the means by which warfare is conducted to improve operational efficiencies and overall effectiveness. The Naval Postgraduate School Systems Engineering and Analysis (SEA-19B) Capstone project team examined how existing directed energy technologies can provide performance across multiple warfare area domains and mission subsets for the U.S. Navy. The aim was to identify and characterize the capability gaps with conventional weapons systems, produce a coherent vision of naval missions that incorporate DEWs, and generate a roadmap for a DEW fleet. By conducting a thorough Analysis of Alternatives based on system performance, integration, schedule, and cost, the project team identified that the Tactical Laser System (with a laser beam power of 10 kW) provided the best overall capability to defend surface combatants, although none of the analyzed DEWs have the capability to replace a current conventional weapon. The Active Denial System (microwave) provided a niche capability in the Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection mission set.