Directed Energy Could Have Major Impact in NM
New Mexico has the potential to become the Center of Excellence for all directed-energy technology developments in the United States.
Cindy Kaiser, chief engineer at AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate, has been studying the possibility as she earns her MBA at UNM.
"The potential impact is huge. No other state has the concentration of directed energy employees," she said during a NM Optics luncheon on June 26.
Of the DOD's annual science and technology budget, one third (more than $3 billion) is programmed for directed energy. New Mexico is already a world leader in directed energy (high-energy lasers, high-power microwaves and related technology) because of its technical expertise, its world-class facilities and the R&D achievements of its labs.
Directed energy "has the power to transform the military to meet the asymmetrical threats of the 21st century," she said. New weapons in development offer significant advantages in speed, trajectory, range, power, wavelength, beam, military use, target and lethality. Their precision can reduce collateral damage as well as the numbers of personnel needed. One weapon still in development produces variable effects from lethal to nonlethal.
"Technology wins wars. That's not necessarily the war we're fighting today because of the terrorists, but it was true in the past and could be again."
New Mexico already has major aerospace players, and their operations could grow as directed-energy work expands in the state. Boeing alone has 473 employees and 10 nonmanufacturing facilities; salaries total $37 million, and it does business with 92 suppliers and vendors.
Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Boeing all want to increase their directed-energy presence in New Mexico. Because the big companies tend to outsource their technical work, it's an opportunities for small companies. She urges the state to encourage their expansion.
Cindy figures directed energy has a five-year window to make a name for itself, as directed-energy technology matures. "It is directed energy's time. New Mexico could become a center. We could increase the presence of industry and grow the technological workforce."
Cindy's studies are provided below.
