A consideration of the requirements for laser devices used in countermeasure applications

Laser technology has developed rapidly in the last few years; efficient laser action is critical to the success of many systems designed for use in the civil and military sectors. The military operational use of laser technology has been responsible for a lot of dramatic improvements in operational performance of many weapon systems, a common example in enhanced guidance accuracy. The operational efficiency, and reduced size of modem solid-state laser technology, makes it an ideal source for many countermeasure applications; however, the ultimate performance of any system is governed by the effective integration of the various sub-systems, as the critical performance parameter is "useful energy on target". This paper concentrates on the potential application of laser devices to countermeasure systems and considers the current status of the performance of laser technology and its use in these systems. This review outlines approaches to defining laser-based system requirements, so that the laser device is compatible with the whole system and thus making optimum use of the laser energy.