"...To achieve the status of a precision-aimed weapon, laser weapon systems will require extremely high levels of pointing and tracking accuracies for systems in low earth orbit. It has, however, not yet been proven that large structures in earth orbit can be stabilized to the necessary levels. This is a challenge of particular importance for a distributed laser weapon system consisting of an earth-based laser and a constellation of space-based mirrors. In this scenario, the laser beam must be relayed by several space mirrors before it reaches some targets."
"Adaptive optics techniques have been developed to correct atmospheric distortions to low-power laser beam projected from earth to space and back again. Adaptive optics systems developed to date depend primarily on deformable mirrors -- mirrors with small acuators that change the mirror's shape to pre-compensate the beam and correct anticipated or pre-measured distortions. Further advances will be required in this technology, both in terms of bandwidth and number/size of actuators, to make this technology work for weapons class lasers. Current advances in microelectromechanical machines (MEMS) and nanotechnology show great promise in this area.
"At low power, laser beams can be used as battlefield illumination devices, but with a potential added benefit over incoherent illumination. Using an invisible laser beam (near infrared) at a specifically chosen wavelength and special tuned vision devices similar to night-vision goggles, one could render the battlefield visible only to friendly troops. At low to medium power, laser beams can be used to designate targets from space, blind sensors in the laser's optical band, ignite exposed flammable objects, raise the temperature in localized regions (possible weather modification effect) perform as an emergency high-bandwidth laser communication system, and serve as a laser probe for active remote-sensing systems. At slightly higher powers, the enhanced heating produced by the laser can be used t upset sensitive electronics (temporarily or permanently), damage sensors and antenna arrays, ignite some containerized flammable and explosive materials, and sever exposed power and communications lines. The full power beam can melt or vaporize virtually any target, given enough exposure time. With precise targeting information (accuracy of inches) and beam pointing and tracking stability, a full power beam can successfully attack ground or airborne targets by melting or cracking cockpit canopies, burning through control cables, exploding fuel tanks, melting or burning sensor assemblies and antenna arrays, exploding or melting munitions pods, destroying ground communications and power grids, and melting or burning a large variety of strategic targets (e.g. dams, industrial and defense facilities, and munitions factories) -- all in a fraction of a second.
Pulsed Lasers
"Pulsed lasers can also produce additional effects based on their ability to deliver rapidly a large amount of energy in a small amount of time. Weapons-class pulsed lasers can vaporize target surfaces so rapidly that an effect very like a rocket firing occurs. In essence, the target experiences a shove or impulse with every laser pulse. If a strong enough impulse is delivered, the laser can discriminate between valid air or space-borne targets and lightweight decoys. If the impulse can be delivered at an object's resonant frequency, cracking and breaking will occur. Similarly, a pulsed laser trained on an object at the proper pulse-repetition frequency can stimulate infrasound vibrations, a potential from of nonlethal force projection that disrupts a target with penetrating, low-frequency oscillations.
"Perhaps more significantly, the large space-based mirrors of a distributed laser weapon system (laser is ground based) can also be used as a high-quality, passive remote-sensing system. By training ground-based, high power optical telescopes on the mirrors, America's "eyes" can literally be carried to every corner of the earth. Cued by a broader area search, this capability could be the primary surveillance, battle damage assessment, and targeting system for the laser space-strike weapon, or a valuable adjunct to America's existing national technical means. With a large constellation of space-based mirrors in LEO, America's opponents cold literally never be sure when they are being watched, closing the existing coverage gaps. Rather than depending on a few large, expensive assets that will inevitably become tempting targets, we can protect our surveillance and reconnaissance capability by increasing the number of "eyes" in orbit. 2
Clearly the authors believe high energy lasers whether ground-based or space-based will be in use by 2025 (assuming funding of course).
From the Strategic Attack paper, comes an additional point:
"Ground Based DEW (With space-borne mirrors)
"Constructing a DEW on the ground and deploying targeting mirrors in space is the more flexible option. Having the source of energy on the ground means the laser energy will not be limited by satellite power, or by available [i.e. limited fuel storage containers in space vehicles - MILNET]. The large targeting mirrors, built with lightweight structures, could employ wave front compensation to correct for optical imperfections." 1
This paper also acknowledges the stabilization and construction problems but appears to assume these can be resolved by 2025.
In an April 1998 USAF Air War College Paper, Lt. Col. William Possel cites a funded space based laser prototype program in development, the Space Based Laser Demonstrator. If the program received funding since then, it is quite likely that a demonstrator might be ready for test deployment. The initial purpose was for theatre ballistic missile defense, however, there may be numerous technologies that could be used in other force application areas. 18
Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) Weapons
The science fiction of yesteryear is no longer fiction. Once again, James Bond fans will recognize this from a film ("Golden Eye"). Accelerator scientists have proven this technology is not only possible, but highly destructive. However, like many new technologies, there are huge barriers to be overcome before it can be fielded and useful. The biggest of which is in fact size, power, and weight. Imagine lifting the Berkeley labs particle accelerator into orbit. This is a huge generator facility and a many mile long tunnel. That simply cannot be done at this time. Perhaps future nanotech will figure out how to shrink the power supply and tunnel enough to hoist this in space, but the likelihood is low. An alternative method for generating the beam might be discovered however.
There are other problems. The NPB (the beam itself) is very energetic. So much so that there aren't a lot of materials that can be used to reflect or redirect it once it is in operation. It tends either to go through things (destructively usually) or get muted so quickly that it becomes useless. Thus, unlike light weapons (lasers or sunlight), it cannot be mirrored around in orbit before being "shown" onto targets. This means the NPB weapon system must "loiter" above the enemy's position in order to bring it to bear. Which is fine if you can put enough of these devices in orbit to exact coverage. That of course is VERY expensive and is also a huge detractor from this technology even if you could get it up into space.
