SE4117 Directed Energy Systems

This course addresses systems engineering and design of laser, microwave, and particle beam directed energy weapons.  Microwave and particle beam systems and technologies will be discussed, but laser weapons will receive the most emphasis.  System architecture, system requirements, key component technologies, technical aspects of device implementation, platform integration, principles of operation and utilization, energy delivery constraints, target kill mechanisms, and systems analysis issues are discussed. 

Prerequisite

SE3116 and SE3117 or equivalent courses in optical and laser systems engineering

Lecture Hours

3

Lab Hours

2

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe requirements, characteristics, and principal components of directed energy systems including lasers, HPM devices, particle beams, and EMPs.

• Describe military applications, utility, and capabilities and limitations of directed energy systems.

• Understand hard-kill and soft-kill effects and lethality of directed energy systems.

• Understand the role and use of directed energy systems in military operations as blue force systems and as adversarial or red force threat systems.

• Characterize directed energy threat environments and understand fundamentals including the detection of threats and possible effects of threats.

• Understand vulnerabilities of blue force warfare assets operating in directed energy threat environments.

• Develop solution strategies, methods, and engineered systems to protect blue force warfare assets operating in directed energy threat environments.

• Understand the implications of directed energy warfare and its intersection with other modern warfare domains.