Laser technology prepares for 21st century war

摘要

Directed energy systems are now beginning to show their capabilities on the battle-field. Oliver Graydon profiles two examples: a land-mine neutralizerand a missile-killer. Clearing minefields is a dangerous and slow process, so US soldiers in Afghanistan must have been pleased when, in the summer of 2003, they received a new laser tool that promised to do the job quickly and safely. Between March and August 2003, an armoured vehicle mounted with a laser (nicknamed ZEUS) moved around the coun-try destroying mines and other explosives. During this period, ZEUS used its onboard kilowatt-class infrared laser to neutralize a total of 210 targets, including 51 in a single 1 h 40 min mission. The pioneers behind the project are Gerald Wilson, from the directed energy division of the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) and Owen Hofer from the US engineering firm SPARTA, which designed and built the system.