Advanced airborne defensive laser for incorporation on strike fighter aircraft

Systems Engineering Capstone Project ReportThis report is a technical and operational analysis of an airborne hard-kill laser-based anti-missile system for use on strike fighters. The analysis begins with a set of requirements and a concept of operations showing the function of the Advanced Airborne Defensive Laser (AADL). These concepts are developed into a generalized functional, physical, and allocated architecture for the system. Research was then done into current and near-future technologies to create alternative configurations. The combat performance of these alternatives was simulated using physics- and discrete-event-based modeling. This simulated performance and other factors were scored to develop recommendations for technologies to be incorporated into the design. For power supply, we recommend the use of the Next Generation Jammer’s ram air turbine (called the HiRAT) for airborne power generation. Lithium-ion batteries are recommended for power storage. The recommended technology for the tracking system is the F-35’s Distributed Aperture System. Finally, the recommended laser technology is the Ytterbium fiber laser.http://archive.org/details/advancedirborned1094556174Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited