Assessing the Treatment of Airborne Tactical High Energy Lasers in Combat Simulations

In March 2000, the High Energy Laser Executive Review Panel presented the Department of Defense Laser Master Plan, which reported that HEL weapons are ready for offensive and defensive applications. One candidate platform capable of performing some of the reported applications is the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL), an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program which places a high energy laser weapon on a tactical aircraft, such as the V-22, C-130, or H-47. A way of assessing the utility of a new weapon system and the benefits of its inclusion in the force structure is the use of combat models. This research examines, by example, issues involved with modeling an airborne tactical high energy laser weapon in a mission level combat simulation, and evaluates possibilities to aggregate simulation results into higher level, campaign models.