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Free Electron Laser (FEL)

Energy Type: Free electrons

Targets: Antiship cruise missiles, swarms of boats

Confirmed Kills: None

Power: 100-kw class

Range: "Short range tactical"

Platform: Naval Ships

Service: U.S. Navy

Manufacturer: Boeing



In 1989 Boeing was awarded a contract to build a unique laser weapon made from a Free Electron Laser—essentially a laser made out of a particle accelerator. Navy ships are the only military platforms big enough to handle such a thing, but the program never really took off. "The USSR went away, and the wall came down," Ed Pogue says.



Two decades ago Pogue worked on the original system; now, he is Boeing's program manager for a new FEL program. This laser tech is back because the beam can be "tuned" to any wavelength, which means it can cut through the misty, salty air at sea. Certain colors of light absorb water better than others—the trick is to use the color that interacts the least with water and salt.



After all these years, though, Boeing still has plenty of work to do to actually build serious FEL weapons. At minimum, the laser would need to reach 100 kilowatts, and so far the free electron laser power record is only 14. Pogue hopes to reach 100 kilowatts in the lab by 2015—and then figure out how the heck to get a particle accelerator on a ship.