{"id":11956,"date":"2018-10-10T20:36:49","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T20:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/10\/the-army-wants-to-direct-energy-and-information-in-more-powerful-ways\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:36:05","slug":"the-army-wants-to-direct-energy-and-information-in-more-powerful-ways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/it-networks\/2018\/10\/10\/the-army-wants-to-direct-energy-and-information-in-more-powerful-ways\/","title":{"rendered":"The Army wants to direct energy and information in more powerful ways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The director of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) Technical Center outlined the organization\u2019s broad technological priorities during an Oct. 10 appearance at the 2018 Association of the U.S. Army Conference in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Webber listed three high-priority areas where the Technical Center is currently focusing its efforts: high-energy lasers, small satellites and advanced hypersonic weapons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webber also stressed from the outset of his presentation the command\u2019s commitment to innovation serves to deliver new capabilities with one goal in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, everything that we are doing is about enabling the war fighter to have the tools that they need,” Webber said. \u201cIf we\u2019re not getting capability to the hands of the war fighter, we\u2019re just doing cool science stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-energy lasers<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webber spoke with excitement about the Technical Center\u2019s ongoing experimentation with high-energy laser technology, a research field led by SMDC for the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m here to tell you we are within five years,\u201d Webber said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Webber, the Technical Center is currently testing a 60-kilowatt electric laser integrated with a beam control system on a large tactical vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webber said these experiments are providing valuable information to SMDC researchers as they move closer to their goal of a installing a fully capable 100 kilowatt laser \u2014 generally considered military strength \u2014 able to execute \u201ca directed energy, non-kinetic kill\u201d onto a smaller tactical truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the Technical Center has been experimenting with maneuvering and firing exercises using a smaller, 10 kilowatt laser integrated onto a striker vehicle in an effort to develop tactics, techniques and practices for a future with high-powered laser technology on the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\t