A while ago I wrote a short text about lasers and it’s possible future. It didn’t take long and we have another laser idea popping into the wild. This time the team responsible for it is BAE Systems with it’s LDAL.
Laser Developed Atmospheric Lens (LDAL) is a combination of a laser and a lens as we can read in the name and is supposed to allow to see much further than today’s sensors which would give you obvious advantages in a real combat scenario.
That’s the laser part but what with the lens? Well as we can read in the press statement it is supposed to:
be used as a form of ‘deflector shield’ to protect friendly aircraft, ships, land vehicles and troops from incoming attacks by high power laser weapons that could also become a reality in the same time period.
This makes sens. It is the usual firepower vs defense systems race and if we develop offensive laser systems we must take into account that others are also working on such systems. This brings us to a point in which we have to figure out a counter measure.
BAE Systems prepared a short video presenting the LDAL in action:
Does it ring a bell to you? When I see it I immediately think of Ronald Reagan and his vision of war in space*. Here we are many many yeas later and we finally might get there. Well, it will take some more time but we are closer than we think.
As written many times before, if you want to stay in the front of the pack you have to innovate. USA and it’s allies are starting to loose the comfortable technical advantage and lasers might be the solution to leave the closing pack behind.
Photo: BAE Systems
*Actually it rings two bells, the second being Spies like us. They had a biiiiig laser in that movie 😉