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USAF Robust Electric Laser Initiative solicitation page, which means they're moving out of the lab and into actual procurement of prototype high powered (read: weapon) systems.
Document here (*.doc)....
(reformatted a bit for clarity)
Document here (*.doc)....
(reformatted a bit for clarity)
ROBUST ELECTRIC LASER INITIATIVE (RELI)
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
This is a Request for Information (RFI) from interested parties by the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office (HEL JTO) in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command / U.S. Army Strategic Forces Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), regarding the ability of firms to develop high-power, high efficiency, compact, electrically driven laser technologies suitable for future military applications. This Request for Information is published in accordance with FAR Part 15.201, and is for PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment by the U.S. Government, nor should it be construed as such. Respondents are advised that HEL-JTO is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of information received, or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. There shall be no basis for claims against the Government as a result of any information submitted in response to this RFI. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI, or reimburse the costs incurred by providing the information requested under this notice. This RFI is open to any capable and qualified commercial sources, and partnering is encouraged.
Specifically, HEL-JTO is seeking parties that are capable of developing a high power high efficiency, cost effective, electrically driven laser system capable of integration into a scalable, ruggedized and militarily useful module. The efforts planned are expected to build on achievements in power, beam quality, and runtime in laboratory environments. The initial phase will be a concept design that consists of
1) identification of architectures of demonstrated or proposed high power laser systems,
2) designs for scaling to very high power such as module scaling and/or beam combination techniques; compatible with packaging and fielding requirements suitable for ground, sea, or air based platforms used in military operations,
3) modeling and simulation efforts that demonstrate scalability, reliability and fieldability of the approach, and
4) engineering plans and techniques that show the capability to ruggedize and package these technologies.
The subsequent phase will consist of development of high power laser laboratory device(s) over a three to four year period of time, with measured laboratory performance traceable to weapon system applications.
Another effort will be development of high power laser sources at a wavelength which is eye safer (retinal safe) than traditional sources but still propagates well through the atmosphere.
The two most critical performance goals are considered to be overall laser performance (i.e. efficiency greater than 30%, near diffraction limited (DL) beam quality (less than 2 with a goal of 1.1 x DL), output power greater than 25 kilowatts and run-times that meet military mission requirements), and military usefulness of the technology (i.e. analysis that the technology is scalable to greater than 100kW and meets the military packaging and fielding requirements on for a robust, small volume and low weight system for ground, sea, or air based platforms).
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
This is a Request for Information (RFI) from interested parties by the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office (HEL JTO) in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command / U.S. Army Strategic Forces Command (SMDC/ARSTRAT), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), regarding the ability of firms to develop high-power, high efficiency, compact, electrically driven laser technologies suitable for future military applications. This Request for Information is published in accordance with FAR Part 15.201, and is for PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment by the U.S. Government, nor should it be construed as such. Respondents are advised that HEL-JTO is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of information received, or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. There shall be no basis for claims against the Government as a result of any information submitted in response to this RFI. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI, or reimburse the costs incurred by providing the information requested under this notice. This RFI is open to any capable and qualified commercial sources, and partnering is encouraged.
Specifically, HEL-JTO is seeking parties that are capable of developing a high power high efficiency, cost effective, electrically driven laser system capable of integration into a scalable, ruggedized and militarily useful module. The efforts planned are expected to build on achievements in power, beam quality, and runtime in laboratory environments. The initial phase will be a concept design that consists of
1) identification of architectures of demonstrated or proposed high power laser systems,
2) designs for scaling to very high power such as module scaling and/or beam combination techniques; compatible with packaging and fielding requirements suitable for ground, sea, or air based platforms used in military operations,
3) modeling and simulation efforts that demonstrate scalability, reliability and fieldability of the approach, and
4) engineering plans and techniques that show the capability to ruggedize and package these technologies.
The subsequent phase will consist of development of high power laser laboratory device(s) over a three to four year period of time, with measured laboratory performance traceable to weapon system applications.
Another effort will be development of high power laser sources at a wavelength which is eye safer (retinal safe) than traditional sources but still propagates well through the atmosphere.
The two most critical performance goals are considered to be overall laser performance (i.e. efficiency greater than 30%, near diffraction limited (DL) beam quality (less than 2 with a goal of 1.1 x DL), output power greater than 25 kilowatts and run-times that meet military mission requirements), and military usefulness of the technology (i.e. analysis that the technology is scalable to greater than 100kW and meets the military packaging and fielding requirements on for a robust, small volume and low weight system for ground, sea, or air based platforms).
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