Laser News

[Moses]

Turkish Company Sells Laser Tech. to US Army

For the past three years, Turkey has been selling a training system to the US and Israel? armed forces that uses lasers for shooting opportunities instead of real bullets.

The New Generation Shooting Systems-Mini-RETS, provide real shooting opportunities at targets that are sensitive to lasers with laser signals installed on the real gun's barrel. Therefore, it reduces cost at soldier training camps. The systems have not been used in Turkey because they are not advantageous financially to the Turkish Armed Forces.

Hursel Kendir, the Chairman of Electronic Design Industry and Trade AC (ETA), the company that produced the system, said yesterday that they have targeted to the Turkish Armed forces, and have even proposed it to the Defense Industry Undersecretariat.

Kendir said his system is the "the first in the world". So far, Mini-RETS, which is the entire focus of Kendir's company, earned him $2 million in exports to America and Israel.


12.13.2004
Ismail Altunsoy
Istanbul

[Moses]

BOULDER, Colo., Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center to develop a new sensor for the A-10 Warthog aircraft which provides close air support of ground forces.

Under the contract, Ball Aerospace will design and demonstrate a laser spot tracker to determine the position of received laser energy. The new laser detector and tracker should provide significant improvements by reducing target acquisition time, increasing target acquisition area, and enhancing tracking and reliability. This advanced technology can also be used for other applications like three-dimensional Light Detection & Ranging (LIDAR).

"The rapid acquisition Pave Penny sensor is designed to add significant tactical capability and considerable reliability to the A-10," said Mike Cerneck, Vice President and General Manager Defense Operations, Ball Aerospace.

The contract began in September and is scheduled for 27 months.
Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products and innovative packaging solutions to the beverage and food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for government and commercial markets. Ball employs 13,100 people worldwide and reported 2003 sales of $4.9 billion.

www.mysan.de/international/article14276.html

[Moses]

Airborne Laser conducts extended flight test

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- The YAL-1A Airborne Laser aircraft flew over the range here Dec. 9 while officials recertified the aircraft's airworthiness before resuming testing of the system's laser beam control system. The aircraft had been out of service for modifications.

12/13/2004 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- YAL-1A, the Airborne Laser aircraft, flew for 2 hours and 31 minutes here Dec. 9. The flight was part of a continuing series to re-establish airworthiness, a requirement since the aircraft has been out of service for almost two years for modifications and installation of the laser’s complex beam control system.

While the aircraft was flying, engineers in the system integration lab here were preparing for the second lasing test of the megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser.

Six laser modules were linked as a single unit and fired for the first time on Nov. 10, producing photons that make up the powerful beam.

If held on an attacking ballistic missile long enough, the beam will produce structural failure on the missile’s metal skin, destroying it before it can release its warhead.

However, the laser’s power is only part of the equation. To be effective as a missile killer, the beam must be held on the target for several seconds. This is a function of the beam control system, which will be tested as soon as airworthiness has been certified.

As the test program progresses, two illuminator lasers will be installed, along with a low-power laser which will be used as a substitute until the high-energy laser can be integrated into the system. When the more powerful system is performing to expectations, it will be installed on the aircraft so it too can be tested in flight and on the ground with the beam control system.

The Airborne Laser is one of the boost-phase segments of the overall plan to make the United States, its allies and its deployed troops safe from ballistic missile attack.

[Moses]

Number 712 #2, December 13, 2004 by Phil Schewe and Ben Stein

Laser Lightening Rod


Lightning on demand, drawing down a bolt of lightning for performing scientific studies, is usually done by firing a rocket into an overhead cloud. The rocket spools out a long wire, providing a conducting path between the charged-up cloud and the earth below. Soon this might be done using laser pulses. A team of French and German scientists has performed experiments in the lab in which a laser beam ionizes air molecules between an artificial thunderhead (a high voltage electrode) with another electrode, the equivalent of “earth” (a grounded electrode), several meters away. The experiment is unique in that it can trigger megavolt discharges across self-guided plasma filaments in air generated by laser pulses. (Here are the potent characteristics of natural lightning: peak power of ten megawatts, peak voltage of 100 MV, peak currents of tens of kilo-amps.) One of the lab results is the surprising discovery that rain does not much perturb the triggering or guiding of the discharge process. Next the team will perform open-air lightning experiments. The aim of this work will be to obtain the ability to trigger lightning before it occurs naturally at sensitive sites such as airports or electrical substations. (Ackermann et al., Applied Physics Letters, 6 December 2004; contact Jerome Kasparian, Universite Lyon, [e-mail]

[Moses]

Nation Digest

Friday, December 10, 2004, 12:00 A.M. Pacific

Feds warn terrorists may laser-blind pilots




Terrorists may seek to down aircraft by shining powerful lasers into cockpits to blind pilots during landing approaches, federal officials are warning in a bulletin distributed nationwide.

The memo sent by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security says there is evidence that terrorists have explored using lasers as weapons, although there is no specific intelligence indicating al-Qaida or other groups might use lasers in the United States.

"Although lasers are not proven methods of attack like improvised explosive devices and hijackings, terrorist groups overseas have expressed interest in using these devices against human sight," the memo said.

In September a Delta Air Lines pilot reported an eye injury from a laser beam shone into the cockpit during a landing approach in Salt Lake City. The incident occurred about 5 miles from the airport. The plane landed safely.

FBI and other federal officials are investigating

[Moses]

Security officials downplay threat of lasers aimed to crash airliners

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff  |  December 11, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security officials yesterday sought to calm fears [how about suppress laughter and ridicule?] that terrorists might try to crash commercial airliners by shooting blinding lasers into their cockpits during landings, saying that there is no credible evidence that any groups are planning to use such weapons and no incidents involving lasers have been reported in Boston or the Northeast.

On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security sent a bulletin to local law enforcement agencies around the country in July warning that saboteurs could seek to down airplanes by aiming lasers at pilots during landing approaches.

''Although lasers are not proven methods of attack like improvised explosive devices and hijackings, terrorist groups overseas have expressed interest in using these devices against human sight," the AP quoted the bulletin as saying. ''In certain circumstances, if laser weapons adversely affect the eyesight of both pilot and co-pilot during a non-instrument approach, there is a risk of airliner crash."

Yesterday, Katie Ford, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety, said the state did not order additional security around Logan Airport because the bulletin offered no recommendations and there have been no reports of incidents in the Northeast. The bulletin, she said, was to provide context in case of reports in the future about the problem.

Valerie Smith, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, also said there were no reported incidents in the Northeast, saying that the federal government was merely sharing information about a potential, if unlikely, security threat to consider.

''This is one of about 160 [bulletins] that we've released in the last two years, and is just part of a continual information flow," she said. ''We have no specific, credible information suggesting that such plans are underway in the United States."

Smith could not say where the intelligence about interest from ''terrorist groups overseas" came from.

But in September, a Delta Air Lines pilot was injured by a laser directed into his Boeing 737 about 5 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. The flight, which came from Dallas, landed without incident after noticing the laser, but the first officer later felt stinging in one eye and was diagnosed with a burned retina, according to the Washington Times.

Steve Luckey, the chairman of the national security committee of the Air Line Pilots Association, said that the only other two cases in the past few months he knows of took place around the airport of Portland, Ore.

It was not clear whether the incidents were caused by a saboteur or an accidental stray beam from a laser light show, he added. Nevertheless, pilots are concerned that it could be an emerging problem not unlike vandals who occasionally shoot guns at airplanes, leaving bullet holes that are later found by maintenance workers.

''We're in a dilemma now trying to figure out what the real deal is," he said. ''There's definitely an increase in frequency of these [reports]. We're concerned not only about a terrorist threat, but because there are people out there who like to do copycat crimes -- whatever it is that causes people to do strange things to aircraft."

Luckey said it was unlikely that lasers would succeed in bringing down a plane. [duh] Usually a beam would refract off of the curved glass of a cockpit windshield, and it would be unlikely to blind both the pilot and copilot. Still, he called for greater regulation of high-intensity lasers to track who has them and let pilots know when laser shows are in the area.

In February 1999, Navy Lieutenant Jack Daly, a helicopter pilot, testified before a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee that he and a Canadian pilot suffered permanent retinal damage after being ''lazed" during a 1997 surveillance flight over a Russian merchant ship suspected of spying on American naval forces. <br>

[Moses]

The Source for Navy News

www.news.navy.mil   


New Navy Invention: Laser Detector Protects Pilots' Eyes
Story Number: NNS041210-03
12/10/2004


By James Darcy, Naval Air Station Patuxent River Public Affairs

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (NNS) -- The Vision Laboratory in Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) Human Systems Division won an Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine "Product Breakthrough” award in late November for its Laser Event Recorder (LER), a device that gives aviators instant warning about laser radiation potentially hazardous to their eyesight.

The LER is a green box which “tells” flyers if they are being targeted by a laser, and whether that laser can damage their eyes. A green light on the box means the system is functioning and everything is normal; yellow means a laser is pointed at them but is not an eye hazard; and red means they are being targeted by a laser that threatens their vision.

"There are anti-personnel systems out there that are designed to make it very hard to do your mission, while even something as seemingly innocuous as a casino's laser light show or laser pointer can temporarily blind air crew and pose a hazard to aircraft many miles distant," said Jim Sheehy, Ph.D., chief scientist and chief technology officer for Human Systems.

Though other laser detectors are in use by the fleet and other services, Sheehy said the units do not provide "real-time, medically relevant" information to the crews as they are flying their missions. Sensors currently in use can't cover the complete range of laser threats, nor can they let aviators know whether or not a laser pointed in their direction is dangerous to their eyes.

With its sensors and integrated global positioning system, the tiny LER not only encodes information about the type of laser that was encountered, but also records a digital picture, which allows analysts to see from where the laser emanated. Air crews on subsequent missions can avoid the threat or target it for elimination, as necessary. In the meantime, medical personnel can use the recorded data to better assess the extent of damage that may have been done to a pilot's vision and inform them of treatment options.

The LER not only gives simple feedback to the crew at the time of a laser event, but also records detailed information onto a compact flash card for later analysis by intelligence officers, medical staff or other air crews, said Jerri Tribble, Ph.D., research physicist and technical lead for the Navy team developing the laser event recorder.

Designing laser eye protection for the fleet is one of the Vision Laboratory's top priorities, Sheehy added. The challenge lies in taking out the right frequencies and intensities to protect against a probable laser threat, without compromising a pilot's ability to see cockpit displays, lighting and other important visual cues.

"We're always balancing where and how to provide protection," Sheehy added.

For related news, visit the Naval Medicine Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/mednews.

 

[Moses]

Ritz casino stung by laser-guided scam
December 7, 2004


Three gamblers who used a James Bond-style laser device to win more than £1million ($2.5million) at a London hotel casino did nothing illegal, police said yesterday.

The trio who used gadgetry at the Ritz to calculate where a roulette ball would land are to be allowed to keep their £1.3 million winnings, officers said.

"All three persons that were arrested have been informed that no further action will be taken," a Scotland Yard spokesman said. "All the money detained by the police has been returned."

Police had seized the cash and frozen bank accounts during a nine-month investigation into the alleged sting conducted by a "chic and beautiful" Hungarian woman, aged 32, and two "elegant" Serbian men, aged 33 and 38.

They were alleged to have used a laser scanner inside a mobile phone that was linked to a micro-computer, The Sunday Times reported.

The scanner measured the speed of the ball as it was released by the croupier, identified where it fell and measured the declining orbit of the wheel.

The data was beamed to the micro-computer, which calculated on which section of numbers the ball would land. This information was then flashed onto the screen of the mobile just before the wheel made its third spin, by which time all bets must be placed.

Having reduced their odds of winning from 37-1 to 6-1, the trio placed bets on all six numbers in the section where the ball would definitely end up.

On the first night they won £100,000. They returned the next night to win £1.2million.

After the casino's security experts examined closed-circuit television footage, Scotland Yard officers arrested the trio on suspicion of winning by deception. But they had not violated any law, since the scanner did not interfere with the ball or wheel, The Sunday Times reported.

Agence France-Presse

[Moses]

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www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-northrop7dec07,1,6512288.story?coll=la-headlines-business

CALIFORNIA

Armored Vehicle Would Use Laser
From Bloomberg News

December 7, 2004
Northrop Grumman Corp., the third-largest U.S. defense company, is joining with United Defense Industries Inc., maker of the Bradley fighting vehicle, to design an armored vehicle with a laser to defend against attack.

The battery-powered, solid-state laser would be used to destroy enemy rockets, artillery and mortar shells, Northrop spokesman Bob Bishop said.

The technology-sharing agreement is for three years, he said, declining to disclose other terms.

The two companies are funding research on the weapon in hopes of selling it to the U.S. Army for use with its Future Combat Systems of armored vehicles, Bishop said. At an estimated cost of $120 billion, the Boeing Co.-led Future Combat Systems is the Pentagon's second-most-costly program behind Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Joint Strike Fighter.

"We have been developing solid-state lasers for a number of years, making great progress in maturing the technology," Bishop said. "There is no government contract to support this right now. This would allow us to compete for future Army programs."

The laser is being developed by Century City-based Northrop, while United Defense will contribute a prototype of a hybrid diesel-and-electric-powered vehicle to carry the weapon, United Defense spokesman Jeff Van Keuren said.

The weapon will require an electrical power source, which the hybrid engine could supply, he said.

Northrop shares rose 27 cents to $57.75.
Shares of Arlington, Va.-based United Defense fell 94 cents to $46.06. Both trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

[Moses]

December 6, 2004

Northrop, UDI work together on laser weapon

Jeff Clabaugh

Staff Reporter

Saying laser weapon technology will become a reality in the near future, Northrop Grumman and Arlington-based United Defense Industries have agreed to partner on developing a laser armed combat vehicle.


Neither company disclosed any financial terms of their development partnership, which is not linked to any current military contract pursuing laser weapon technology.

Under the agreement, the Space Technology division of Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) will lead the team as the developer of laser systems. United Defense Industries (NYSE: UDI), which makes the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, will develop a hybrid combat vehicle that would carry the laser weapon.

"Laser technology is developing rapidly, and operational demonstrations and systems will become reality in the near future," says Patrick Caruana, vice president of Space and Missile Defense for Northrop Grumman Space Technology. "Directed energy systems like lasers offer many advantages and mission utility to Army operations."

The companies say the laser system could defend against rockets, artillery, mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as other potential threats.

[Moses]

Pure Silicon Laser Debuts

November 30, 2004


Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles have made a prototype laser from the stuff of computer chips -- silicon. The laser is tunable, meaning it can lase in a range of wavelengths, or colors, and it works at room temperature.

The silicon laser could be used to provide optical wireless communications at a wavelength that is optimal for transmission through air and even fog, to detect chemicals and biological molecules, and to provide an infrared countermeasure capable of jamming heat-seeking missiles, according to the researchers.

The device promises to be compatible with today's silicon manufacturing processes because it amplifies light using the natural atomic vibrations of silicon rather than a mix of materials or a particular nanoscale physical structure. This makes silicon lasers potentially inexpensive.

A laser, short for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, energizes matter. When an atom absorbs energy its electrons move to higher energy levels.

Ordinarily silicon makes a poor laser medium because when its electrons drop to a lower energy level more energy is channeled into the material as vibrations or heat than is emitted as light. The researchers got around this problem using the Raman effect.

When photons strike atoms, many are absorbed and some scatter. The scattered photons gain or lose energy depending on whether the atoms they struck are in a high or low energy state. The energy change causes the photons' wavelength to shift.

When a powerful enough laser strikes a material, the scattered photons induce lasing at the Raman-shifted wavelength. Raman lasers made from glass optical fiber are common. The researchers found that the Raman effect is 10,000 times stronger in silicon than in optical fiber.

A practical silicon Raman laser could be ready in two years. The work appeared in the October 18, 2004 issue of Optics Express.


Technology Research News

[machinelasera]

Dec 14, 2004 1:51:02 GMT -5 Moses said:

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www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-northrop7dec07,1,6512288.story?coll=la-headlines-business

CALIFORNIA

Armored Vehicle Would Use Laser
From Bloomberg News

December 7, 2004
Northrop Grumman Corp., the third-largest U.S. defense company, is joining with United Defense Industries Inc., maker of the Bradley fighting vehicle, to design an armored vehicle with a laser to defend against attack.

The battery-powered, solid-state laser would be used to destroy enemy rockets, artillery and mortar shells, Northrop spokesman Bob Bishop said.

The technology-sharing agreement is for three years, he said, declining to disclose other terms.

The two companies are funding research on the weapon in hopes of selling it to the U.S. Army for use with its Future Combat Systems of armored vehicles, Bishop said. At an estimated cost of $120 billion, the Boeing Co.-led Future Combat Systems is the Pentagon's second-most-costly program behind Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Joint Strike Fighter.

"We have been developing solid-state lasers for a number of years, making great progress in maturing the technology," Bishop said. "There is no government contract to support this right now. This would allow us to compete for future Army programs."

The laser is being developed by Century City-based Northrop, while United Defense will contribute a prototype of a hybrid diesel-and-electric-powered vehicle to carry the weapon, United Defense spokesman Jeff Van Keuren said.

The weapon will require an electrical power source, which the hybrid engine could supply, he said.

Northrop shares rose 27 cents to $57.75.
Shares of Arlington, Va.-based United Defense fell 94 cents to $46.06. Both trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Good news. I am seeking for laser systems. Hope your note can help me in somehow.