Novel applications of femtosecond laser in missile countermeasures

E. Marquis; J. P. Pocholle

doi:10.1117/12.640560

13 October 2005 Novel applications of femtosecond laser in missile countermeasures

E. Marquis, J. P. Pocholle

Proceedings Volume 5989, Technologies for Optical Countermeasures II; Femtosecond Phenomena II; and Passive Millimetre-Wave and Terahertz Imaging II; 59890T (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.640560
Event: European Symposium on Optics and Photonics for Defence and Security, 2005, Bruges, Belgium

Abstract

Femtosecond lasers have been widely used in laboratories for years and are now suitable for industrial applications and new military ones. Due to their very short pulse duration, they have the capability to generate intense electric fields and plasmas in targeted materials. We present here a novel scheme of missile counter-measure that is using such an intense laser source to disrupt the operation of IR guidance systems. Classical lasers for missile defense are based on thermal effects on the target whereas photons are used as the kill vehicle [1,2]. In femtosecond countermeasure, the average power is quite low, but the very intense field creates ionization effects than can damage sensitive optics and also plasma that can be used as active decoys against IR homing electronics. As the recent systems are compact and portable, an airport protection scheme is proposed to eliminate manpads threats in the vicinity of a civilian airport.

Citation Download Citation

E. Marquis and J. P. Pocholle "Novel applications of femtosecond laser in missile countermeasures", Proc. SPIE 5989, Technologies for Optical Countermeasures II; Femtosecond Phenomena II; and Passive Millimetre-Wave and Terahertz Imaging II, 59890T (13 October 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.640560

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