Air Force Research Lab’s Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., in concert with Boeing, has demonstrated that a dual-mirror system can redirect a laser to a target, extending the laser’s range. Using a prototype called the Aerospace Relay Mirror System, researchers successfully tested a non-lethal laser beam by firing it a one of two mirrors from several miles away and then using the second mirror to relay the beam to a ground-based target another two miles away. In this test, a crane hoisted the two mirrors up about 100 feet. In a real application, a high-altitude airship could loft the mirrors to some 70,000 feet, where there would be little atmospheric turbulence to affect beam quality.
The Pentagon’s head of research and engineering is prioritizing technologies that can penetrate and operate inside highly contested enemy territory. Top among them are artificial intelligence and autonomy. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu said other priorities on the list include creating the technology and standards for…