A laser apparatus comprising an aperture module array including two or more aperture modules, each aperture module of the array being optically couple-able to a source of coherent electromagnetic radiation and configured to emit a beam of radiation received from the source. The apparatus emits a composite beam comprising beams emitted by the respective aperture modules and modulates at least one of the beams in power and phase relative to at least one other of the beams such that a desired non-uniform composite beam profile is provided.

A laser beam is condensed in a close position to a target object in underwater so as to generate an air bubble or plasma. The target object is efficiently destroyed by a shock by the air bubble or the plasma.

A coherent imaging system produces coherent flood illumination directed toward a remote object and local oscillator (LO) illumination derived based on a same master oscillator as the flood illumination. A Doppler sensor receives the LO illumination and a return of flood illumination reflected off the object. Doppler shift data from the Doppler sensor, corresponding to a longitudinal velocity of the object relative to the imaging system, is used to produce Doppler-shifted LO illumination received by a low bandwidth, large format focal plane array (FPA), together with the return illumination from the object. Interference between the Doppler-shifted LO illumination and the return illumination facilitates producing an image of the object with the low bandwidth FPA despite the longitudinal velocity. Pixel intensities from the FPA are integrated over a period approaching the maximum interference frequency. The Doppler sensor and FPA may concurrently process return for a high energy laser target spot.

A laser defense system may be used to generate a plasma shield for protecting a structure against a directed-energy source. The laser defense system may include a short pulsed laser which generates plasma in a plasma shield region between the structure and the directed-energy source. Because plasma is opaque to electromagnetic radiation, the laser signal emitted by the directed-energy source is absorbed by the plasma shield rather than striking the structure.

A visual impairment device includes a power supply, an intense light source having two or more beams of intense light with different peak wavelengths and a wavelength bandwidth less than 50 nm, a modulator and a control circuit. The modulator operates to modulates the two or more beams of intense light to produce a spatial array such that at least one of the beams used to produce the spatial array has the requisite irradiance to cause visual impairment. In some examples, the beams of intense light are laser beams. Also included are methods of using the device to cause visual impairment of an intruder who enters a visual impairment zone created by said device.

An apparatus for a directed-energy weapon comprises an assessment system arranged to, during an assessment phase, perform an assessment of a target environment, wherein the target environment comprises a target; and a controller arranged to, during the assessment phase, control the directed energy weapon to direct energy towards the target environment so that the assessment system can perform the assessment using the directed energy.

An apparatus includes a reflector having one or more reflective faces and an opening. The reflector is selectively movable into and out of an optical path of an alignment beam. When the reflector is located within the optical path of the alignment beam, (i) the one or more reflective faces are configured to reflect a first portion of the alignment beam and (ii) the opening is configured to allow passage of a second portion of the alignment beam through the reflector. The reflector may include a retro-reflector, the retro-reflector may include multiple reflective faces, and the multiple reflective faces may be positioned around the opening.

A non-lethal weapon that delivers a high voltage electrical stun charge to a living organism at a distance without the use of wires, said weapon comprising at least one power laser and a high-voltage electrical circuit, wherein the power laser creates a beam of coherent light that ionizes the air, thus bringing into existence one or more paths of ion-rich gaseous plasma which conduct an electrical stun charge to the living target, and temporarily incapacitate the target.

Disclosed are systems and methods of flexibly cooling thermal loads by providing a complex compound system for burst mode cooling, a vapor compression system for ancillary cooling, and a thermal storage system for helping efficiently maintain and cool a thermal load such as a directed energy weapon system.

A thermal management system for a directed energy weapon includes a first heat exchanger thermally coupled to the directed energy weapon and a second heat exchanger arranged in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger to form a closed loop. The second heat exchanger is thermally coupled to a secondary system and a thermal management fluid circulates within the closed loop. A thermal storage device is arranged in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. The thermal storage device contains a material and a mode of operation of the directed energy weapon is dependent on a condition of the material in the thermal storage device.