LASER PHYSICS RESEARCH
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 information on Directed Energy Weapons and Missile Countermeasures technologies (including LEMP) download the following Technology White Paper by Dr Adam Weigold:   Rendering Guided Missiles Obsolete  (pdf: 593k)

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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
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  "Lightning Gun's technology opens a principally new and unique approach to solving the missile countermeasure problem using a relatively low
    powered Directed Energy Weapon. 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 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 and Countermeasure Platforms