WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2021) The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) has conducted a directed energy system test in a wind tunnel to study the possible impact of air flow on the setting during aircraft flight, the US Air Force said on Wednesday.
"There are a number of systems in use and being developed across the [Defense Department]. Integrating the DE [directed energy] systems on aircraft has obvious benefits, but also creates challenges, especially at higher speeds." AEDC official Rich Roberts said in a release.
Roberts explained there is a growing interest for directed energy systems within the Defense Department for a variety of purposes, especially for defending systems and personnel.
The test was conducted in the four-foot wind tunnel has become a culmination of about eight years of work of examining of how shockwaves created by an aircraft in the air affect the beam quality and effectiveness of a directed energy system during flight, the release said.
Directed energy systems use high-energy lasers or microwaves to degrade or destroy targets, the release added.
