Both the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the House
Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Future of Defense
Task Force Report have identified directed energy as a
technology that could have a significant impact on U.S.
national security in the years to come. As the Department of
Defense (DOD) continues to invest in directed-energy (DE)
weapons, Congress may consider implications for defense
authorizations, appropriations, and oversight.
Overview
DOD defines DE weapons as those using concentrated
electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to
“incapacitate, damage, disable, or destroy enemy
equipment, facilities, and/or personnel.” DE weapons
include high-energy lasers (HEL) and high-powered
microwave (HPM) weapons; other DE weapons, such as
particle beam weapons, are outside the scope of this In
Focus.
HELs might be used by ground forces in short-range air
defense (SHORAD), counter-unmanned aircraft systems
(C-UAS), or counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM)
missions. The weapons might be used to “dazzle” (i.e.,
temporarily disable) or damage satellites and sensors. This
could in turn interfere with intelligence-gathering
operations; military communications; and positioning,
navigation, and timing systems used for weapons targeting.
In addition, HELs could theoretically provide options for
boost-phase missile intercept, given their speed-of-light
travel time; however, experts disagree on the affordability,
technological feasibility, and utility of this application.
Yeah did you see where it stated that that report is only on the unclassified stuff. If they feel that they need to point that out,,, there's classified also..
Updated May 7, 2024 Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11882
Excerpt from that report:
Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons
Both the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the House Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Future of Defense Task Force Report have identified directed energy as a technology that could have a significant impact on U.S. national security in the years to come. As the Department of Defense (DOD) continues to invest in directed-energy (DE) weapons, Congress may consider implications for defense authorizations, appropriations, and oversight.
Overview
DOD defines DE weapons as those using concentrated electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to “incapacitate, damage, disable, or destroy enemy equipment, facilities, and/or personnel.” DE weapons include high-energy lasers (HEL) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons; other DE weapons, such as particle beam weapons, are outside the scope of this In Focus.
HELs might be used by ground forces in short-range air defense (SHORAD), counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), or counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) missions. The weapons might be used to “dazzle” (i.e., temporarily disable) or damage satellites and sensors. This could in turn interfere with intelligence-gathering operations; military communications; and positioning, navigation, and timing systems used for weapons targeting. In addition, HELs could theoretically provide options for boost-phase missile intercept, given their speed-of-light travel time; however, experts disagree on the affordability, technological feasibility, and utility of this application.
Yeah did you see where it stated that that report is only on the unclassified stuff. If they feel that they need to point that out,,, there's classified also..