RAY GUN TWO STEP: LASERS TO IRAQ?
Maybe -- just maybe -- the U.S. is going to get laser weapons in
Iraq, after all. Last week, Reuters reported that the Army had
"balked" at deploying Northrop Grumman's Tactical High Energy Laser
air defense system. But a Defense Tech informant, pointing to this
MIT Technology Review article, says Reuters may have blown the
story.As follows..
The Pentagon hasn't announced its
decision on deployment of the prototype laser, [so] it can't be
said that it "balked"... Lt. Col. [Jeff] Souder, [who manages
directed energy projects at the Army's Redstone Arsenal] said
"We're exploring our options in how to put chemical lasers in the
hands of our soldiers as soon as possible."
Another reason I think [THEL deployment] is a real possibility is
that [Brig.Gen. John] Urias just arrived in Baghdad and is in
control of acquisitions for the operations in Iraq. He oversaw the
MTHEL [mobile THEL] program from Washington for several years and
was the one who pushed it towards solid state lasers [as opposed to
chemically-powered lasers like THEL, which generate more power but
require giant vats of toxic materials to operate -- ed]. He also
has said recently that he thinks they moved towards solid state too
soon...
Another wrinkle in this premise is that I know several
high-ranking
MTHEL officials, including Souder and Aden, were in Israel all last
week. [THEL has co-developed with the Israelis, and THEL's radar
system has already been put to use in Israel -- ed.] I think that
means they might have been discussing putting the prototype in
Sderot in time for the disengagement. Or it might mean that they
are considering the $25 million quarter-scale "relocatable" THEL
for future disengagements. A big caveat should go here -- I imagine
that there are several Pentagon people who don't want to see the
laser go to Israel, with its proclivities for sharing technology
with the Chinese. The radar was one thing -- it was an Israeli
radar built for the prototype. But giving the laser to Israel seems
like a huge leap for the Pentagon to take, considering all the
foul-ups in our defense relationship with them
recently.
Sam Jaffe, who wrote the Technology Review story, adds, "I'm
convinced that before the end of this year we'll see a historic
first: a laser shooting down a hostile projectile in a real combat
zone."
