“Snap Together” Directed Energy Threat Protection System

Abstract

In recent years the American military has gained an appreciation for the global directed energy threat. While an elegant solution to the agile spectral threats will likely become available around the turn of the millennium, a practical near term solution is needed. A system employing a penetrable mirror can fulfill the requirements for both broadband spectral protection and near term availability. Typically a very stringent requirement for directed energy protection systems is a tightly focused spot size. This requirement necessitates precision manual alignment which can be negated with the use of a snap together design.