<\/p>\n
La amenaza de los Misiles Bal\u00edsticos Intercontinentales (ICBM), ha dado lugar a la b\u00fasqueda de alternativas que permitan destruir estos vectores, en los primeros minutos posteriores al lanzamiento. La raz\u00f3n es que los sistemas de defensa antimisiles actuales, tienden a accionar sobre el vector agresor, reci\u00e9n cuando \u00e9sta ya ha alcanzado el apogeo de su trayectoria. El requerimiento del US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) a las principales empresas del Sector Defensa, (tales como LOCKHEED MARTIN \u2013 BOEING \u2013 GENERAL ATOMICS), es desarrollar un UAV que pueda operar a altitudes del \u00f3rden de los 19000 m, con una carga \u00fatil de 2000 kg\u00a0\u00a0y autonom\u00eda operativa de 36 horas, portando un LASER de gran potencia (Entre 140 y 280 Kw). Las empresas postulantes deben presentar un prototipo \u201cdemostrador\u201d a ser ensayado en 2020.<\/p>\n
![\"Intercontinental](\"https:\/\/cdn5.img.sputniknews.com\/images\/105602\/51\/1056025116.jpg\")
Of that, $61 million would go to\u00a0the ongoing program to\u00a0develop a laser versatile and light enough to\u00a0be mounted on\u00a0a variety of\u00a0drones, the Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD). An additional $5 million would go to\u00a0increase the power of\u00a0the laser to\u00a0be able to\u00a0destroy ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n
\nStrengthening the laser is the easy part: the LPLD uses the highly stable solid-state fiber laser technology, the same technology used for\u00a0fiber optic communications. Making a more powerful laser using solid state fibers is simply a matter of\u00a0packing more fibers in.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The drone is the hard part. It would need to\u00a0be able to\u00a0withstand high altitudes of\u00a0at least 63,000 feet, have the endurance to\u00a0fly for\u00a0at least 36 hours and be able to\u00a0carry at\u00a0least 5,000 pounds, including a laser cannon of\u00a0140 to\u00a0280 kilowatts mounted on\u00a0it\u00a0\u2014 no mean feat.<\/p>\n
MDA also wants the drone to\u00a0carry a tracking laser, a defensive laser and a beam-control system that will prevent atmospheric or environmental conditions from\u00a0weakening the laser’s impact.<\/p>\n
In 2017, the bidding war to\u00a0develop the LPLD began, with\u00a0Boeing, General Atomics and Lockheed Martin all receiving phase one contracts to\u00a0develop their own solutions for\u00a0the Pentagon in\u00a02018. The winner will be awarded a contract to\u00a0develop a testable prototype of\u00a0the LPLD by\u00a02020.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Boeing is in\u00a0the midst of\u00a0building another compact laser, the 10 kw Compact Laser Weapon System, meant to\u00a0be transportable by\u00a0a squad of\u00a0Marines. But the CLWS is nowhere near\u00a0powerful enough for\u00a0MDA’s purposes.<\/p>\n
Lockheed, meanwhile, has the opposite\u00a0problem: they’re building the US Navy’s 500 kw High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with\u00a0Surveillance (HELIOS), but\u00a0a ship-mounted laser cannon would be far too large for\u00a0a drone to\u00a0carry.<\/p>\n
“Lockheed Martin has committed millions of\u00a0dollars to\u00a0directed energy research and development, laying the groundwork for\u00a0the laser technology that brings us much closer to\u00a0an operational system capable of\u00a0intercepting a missile in\u00a0its boost phase,” said Lockheed Martin Strategic and Missile Defense Director Sarah Reeves in\u00a0a statement accompanying the contract.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The phase one contracts instructed the defense contractors to\u00a0build weapons that have the capacity to\u00a0intercept missiles after\u00a0launch. Generally, countermeasures against\u00a0missile defense systems aren’t activated until\u00a0a ballistic missile reaches the apex of\u00a0its trajectory. In the moments after\u00a0a ballistic missile takes off, it emits huge amounts of\u00a0exhaust that make it easy to\u00a0detect and locate the launch.<\/p>\n
But the launch window is a very short amount of\u00a0time: one to\u00a0five minutes, depending on\u00a0the missile. Pre-launch interception takes more power, but\u00a0the Pentagon isn’t ruling it out\u00a0as a possibility either.<\/p>\n
\n“Our vision is to\u00a0shift the calculus of\u00a0our potential adversaries by\u00a0introducing these systems into\u00a0the ballistic missile defense system,” said Chris Johnson, a spokesperson for\u00a0the MDA, when the initial contracts were announced in\u00a0June 2017. “This could revolutionize missile defense, dramatically reducing the role of\u00a0kinetic interceptors.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n