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US DoD push for laser, microwave weapons
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| 09 August 2002 |
By Andrew Koch, JDW Bureau Chief, Washington DC, and Nick Cook, JDW Aerospace Consultant, London
In its FY 2004 Defence Planning Guidance, the US DoD calls on USAF to plan for directed-energy (DE) weapons within a decade.
Mike Booen, vice president for directed-energy programmes at Raytheon, said that high-powered microwave and laser weapons are "on the verge of moving from the science and technology phase into the tactical platform phase".
Some concepts are already under development, according to industry and USAF officials. George Muellner, president for the Phantom Works, Boeing's R&D wing, said concepts for a DE weapon - "probably a high-powered microwave" - are being developed for an upgrade to the X-45 unmanned combat air vehicle.
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