Naval Surface Warfare Center
Dahlgren Division
Presented by
WELCOME
Directed Energy
Dr. Christopher Lloyd
Distinguished Scientist for Laser Weapon Lethality
NSWC Dahlgren
Sea Air Space 2021 Attendees
August 4, 2021
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited.
2
Dahlgren Division Capabilities
Ordnance
Testing
Integrated
Training
Advanced Combat Systems
RF/EO/IR/OHD
Sensors
Naval Automation
(AI/ML/Quantum)
Integrated Warfare
Systems Laboratory
Naval Electric
Weapons
Fire Control
Systems
Cybersecurity Engineering
Digital
Engineering
E3 Testing
Test and
Evaluation
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited.
3
DoD DE Strategy Alignment
Air and Missile Defense: The Naval Service will continue to
invest in next-generation aircraft; defensive missile systems;
advanced sensors, such as the Marine Ground/Air Task-
Oriented Radar; the Navy Air and Missile Defense Radar; and
emerging technologies, such as directed energy weapons
that free-up magazine capacity for additional offensive
weapons.
Tri-Service Maritime Strategy – Dec 2020
Capabilities Objective: A Navy capable of projecting
synchronized lethal and non-lethal effects across all
domains. We will deploy the Naval Operational
Architecture by the middle of this decade; an array of
counter-C5ISRT capabilities; weapons of increasing
range and speed; and a directed-energy system
capable of defeating anti-ship cruise missiles.
CNO Navigation Plan - Jan 2021
4
Meet the Challenges facing the Navy
• Defeat Anti-Access capabilities
– Potential adversaries threatening to restrict
Navy freedom to operate
– Logistics & cost of using $2M weapons
against $50k threat
– Directed Energy puts us on the right side of
the “cost curve”
• Expand magazine depth
– Only limited by fuel onboard
– Reduce at-sea weapons resupply
• Address ROE challenges
– Enable Real-Time Combat ID & Intent
Determination
– Speed of light delivery
– Precise engagement
– Graduated effects
Directed Energy Weapons address existing Mission Requirements/Gaps
Why Directed Energy Weapons?
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited.
5
High Energy Laser Weapons OV-1
Tracking / Combat ID / Surveillance
Destructive Directed Energy
Reversible Directed Energy
Link / CEC
Missiles
Gunfire
6
DE Facilities at NSWCDD
Naval Directed Energy Center
– Multi-phase facility expansion
– Sited on the Potomac River Test Range
– Technology evaluation and development
– Lethality and vulnerability analysis
– Mission/engagement analysis
– System engineering and integration
– Countermeasures to DE threats
– Capability gap analysis and support for
requirements development
– Concept development and demonstration
High Power Microwave
– Open air test
– Reverb/anechoic chambers
High Energy Laser
– Land-to-land over water
– Backstop facility
– 100 kW of fiber laser power
– 110 meter indoor range
CETFAC
NDEC
Laser System
Development
Lab
Bldg. 297
Shock Tube
Road
1.2
km
Warfare Analysis
Facility
(WAF)
Bldg. 1502
Directed Energy
System Integration
Bldg. 194
FAST, HIVAR,
PUPFAC & HEPPTL
Bldg. 1495, Bldg.
1118,
Bldg. 1120 & Bldg.
1123
Dahlgren
Command
Bldg. 180
MOATS
(Citadel) Bldg. 1332
& (Bastille) Bldg.
1334
Q
Department
Q20 Labs &
Facilities
Bldg. 1470
DEWO
E10 Labs &
Facilities
Bldg. 213
Laser Test
Pad
Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
7
Naval DE Capabilities & Missions
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited.
• Counter Sensor
• Counter Unmanned Aerial
Systems (UAS)
• Counter Vessel/Vehicle and
Vessel Stopping
• Counter Material
• Counter-command, control,
communications &
computers (C-C4)
• Counter-IED; Explosive
Hazard Defeat (EHD)
• Non-lethal Counter-
Personnel
• Infrastructure attack
Vessel Stopping
Direct Inject Vehicle
C-IED
8
Navy Laser Family of
Systems (NLFoS)
N94
N96
DDG FLT IIA
Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy
(ODIN)
DDG FLT IIA
Surface Navy Laser Weapon System
Increment 1 (HELIOS)
Investigation of
Alternate Laser Design
Ruggedized High Energy Laser (RHEL)
Other Service, Agency, and OSD
Technology Initiatives
RDT&E Efforts
HEL C-ASCM Project (HELCAP)
Surface Navy Laser Weapon System
Increment 2
Surface Navy Laser Weapon System
Increment 3
LPD Class
Solid State Laser – Technology
Maturation (SSL-TM)
Increasing Fleet Capability
Navy Laser Strategy
9
HEL Testing on USS PORTLAND
US Navy YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWFGzoYod5M
10
Thank You
