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 The
Lightning
Gun Project is an independent laser research project developing a non-lethal directed
energy technology that uses a high energy laser pulse to create a
plasma
in air. This plasma emits an intense localized Electromagnetic Pulse
(EMP) that can
destroy
the integrated electronic circuitry in a missiles sensor and guidance
systems, thereby instantly neutralizing missile threats at
long
range. With active target neutralization and speed
of light delivery, Laser Powered EMP (LEMP) weapons have numerous
potential
advantages over
conventional countermeasure technologies such
as
flares,
chaff,
radar jamming, laser jamming and stealth materials which
are complex, expensive and only partially
effective solutions at best.
 We
have successfully completed small scale experiments that prove the
principle of LEMP technology and validate its feasibility for
missile countermeasure
applications. Experimental
results
indicate that a Laser Powered EMP product could potentially be as
small as a few meters in length and cost under a million dollars per
aircraft in volume. Lightning Gun
Inc. has filed a patent application for a Laser Guided and Powered
EMP weapon with the USPTO.
We
are currently working
on
ways to generate the funding required to scale laser output up to 1kW
power levels and prove the technology for real-world
applications.
 Laser
Powered EMP technology potentially requires only a kilowatt class laser
or smaller
to disable a missile target which means a laser platform
that is a fraction of the size, power
and cost of more lethal megawatt class laser weapons intended
to
vaporize and destroy targets. Compact LEMP modules could be
installed on the
undercarriage of most airplanes and helicopters at a cost that is
attractive to owners of both military and commercial aircraft. LEMP technology
offers a vastly improved
level of combat effectiveness over conventional countermeasures while
also
meeting the size, power and cost requirements of modern commercial and
military aircraft. It has the potential to become the
first truly affective and affordable missile countermeasures
platform that can offer the entire aerospace industry a high
degree of protection against all missile types and even unmanned aerial
vehicle threats. LEMP is a long range, precision EMP weapon and
is a completely
non-lethal
technology that only has potential for defensive applications.
For general information
on Directed Energy Weapons and Missile
Countermeasures technologies (incl. LEMP
technology) download
the
following Technology White
Paper: Rendering
Guided Missiles Obsolete (pdf: 593k)
 Technology Peer
Reviews
"The
Lightning Gun project is a very interesting concept worth further
investigation. After an initial review of the technology there
is
general agreement by our engineers that it would be an ideal generic
countermeasure against all types of missiles and potentially even
non-missile threats such as UAV's"
Kim
Scott
Director - Land & Integrated Systems
BAE Systems (Australia)
No.1 Global Defense manufacturer for Missile Countermeasure Platforms
__________________________________________________________________
"Lightning
Gun's technology opens a principally new and unique approach to solving
the missile countermeasure problem using relatively low powered
Directed Energy Weapons. LEMP is a new technology that is based on
already tested concepts in the modern art of laser plasma physics.
This is a non-lethal defensive weapon concept which has great potential
in both military and commercial countermeasure applications."
Dr. Yuri Zakharenkov
USSR State Prize in Physics (1986) for Laser Plasma Research
Former Senior Research Scientist at Lebedev Physics Institute and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL)
Senior Principal Physicist at Raytheon Inc (USA)
Global Defense manufacturer of Directed Energy Weapons, Missiles and Countermeasures
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