UM develops lasers to defend helicopters against missile attacks By Ben Coxworth <http://www.gizmag.com/author/ben-coxworth/>
*11:36 September 4, 2010* [image: New laser technology could be used to protect military helicopters from heat-seeking missi...]<http://www.gizmag.com/lasers-protect-helicopters-from-missiles/16251/picture/120131/> New laser technology could be used to protect military helicopters from heat-seeking missiles Laser Marking Machines<http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=BD41bWWWFTLeGO5GqjQS8mdyuBd2thqkBwe-cvBTAjbcBsIPKARABGAEgs9z6ASgEOABQ8u6WqPv_____AWDJxs2GyKOgGbIBDnd3dy5naXptYWcuY29tugEKMzAweDI1MF9qc8gBAdoBmQFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdpem1hZy5jb20vbGFzZXJzLXByb3RlY3QtaGVsaWNvcHRlcnMtZnJvbS1taXNzaWxlcy8xNjI1MS8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1HaXptYWcrU3Vic2NyaWJlcnMmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPTdiYzhmNjJhOWYtVUEtMjIzNTM2MC00JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWyoAwHoA50F6AOAKOgD6AX1AwIAAEQ&num=1&sig=AGiWqtxrPD5FxU8wndmIlPWJabPMcSvaqQ&client=ca-pub-1607124478120364&adurl=http://www.laserstar.net/3500_series.html> - www.laserstar.net<http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=BD41bWWWFTLeGO5GqjQS8mdyuBd2thqkBwe-cvBTAjbcBsIPKARABGAEgs9z6ASgEOABQ8u6WqPv_____AWDJxs2GyKOgGbIBDnd3dy5naXptYWcuY29tugEKMzAweDI1MF9qc8gBAdoBmQFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdpem1hZy5jb20vbGFzZXJzLXByb3RlY3QtaGVsaWNvcHRlcnMtZnJvbS1taXNzaWxlcy8xNjI1MS8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1HaXptYWcrU3Vic2NyaWJlcnMmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPTdiYzhmNjJhOWYtVUEtMjIzNTM2MC00JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWyoAwHoA50F6AOAKOgD6AX1AwIAAEQ&num=1&sig=AGiWqtxrPD5FxU8wndmIlPWJabPMcSvaqQ&client=ca-pub-1607124478120364&adurl=http://www.laserstar.net/3500_series.html> Permanent Laser Marking Equipment - Integrator Kits & Turnkey Systems Laser Marking Machines<http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=Bc6bOWWWFTLeGO5GqjQS8mdyuBa2u9cgB9ZLLhRTAjbcBoPiJARACGAIgs9z6ASgEOABQyPWP4wdgycbNhsijoBmgAcPwv_8DsgEOd3d3Lmdpem1hZy5jb226AQozMDB4MjUwX2pzyAEB2gGZAWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuZ2l6bWFnLmNvbS9sYXNlcnMtcHJvdGVjdC1oZWxpY29wdGVycy1mcm9tLW1pc3NpbGVzLzE2MjUxLz91dG1fc291cmNlPUdpem1hZytTdWJzY3JpYmVycyZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249N2JjOGY2MmE5Zi1VQS0yMjM1MzYwLTQmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbIACAagDAegDnQXoA4Ao6APoBfUDAgAARA&num=2&sig=AGiWqtwT-WpbEG6qwdc6Wld-175rZ7fYLQ&client=ca-pub-1607124478120364&adurl=http://www.ulsinc.com> - www.ulsinc.com<http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=Bc6bOWWWFTLeGO5GqjQS8mdyuBa2u9cgB9ZLLhRTAjbcBoPiJARACGAIgs9z6ASgEOABQyPWP4wdgycbNhsijoBmgAcPwv_8DsgEOd3d3Lmdpem1hZy5jb226AQozMDB4MjUwX2pzyAEB2gGZAWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuZ2l6bWFnLmNvbS9sYXNlcnMtcHJvdGVjdC1oZWxpY29wdGVycy1mcm9tLW1pc3NpbGVzLzE2MjUxLz91dG1fc291cmNlPUdpem1hZytTdWJzY3JpYmVycyZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249N2JjOGY2MmE5Zi1VQS0yMjM1MzYwLTQmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbIACAagDAegDnQXoA4Ao6APoBfUDAgAARA&num=2&sig=AGiWqtwT-WpbEG6qwdc6Wld-175rZ7fYLQ&client=ca-pub-1607124478120364&adurl=http://www.ulsinc.com> Etch photos onto marble, acrylic, anodized aluminum, wood and more. 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The lasers wouldn’t shoot down the missiles, but would instead jam their sensors, essentially blinding them. This isn’t the first time that laser systems<http://www.gizmag.com/go/7461/> have been used for this purpose, but the creators of *this* system claim that it is better suited to helicopters than anything that has come before. The UM <http://www.umich.edu/> system detects incoming missiles, then shoots at them with a mid-infrared supercontinuum laser. While most lasers emit light of just one wavelength, supercontinuums pack a broad range of wavelengths into their focused beam. Although such lasers typically emit a beam of visible light, due to the fact that this is a mid-infrared supercontinuum, its beam isn’t seen but is felt as heat. The resulting broad spectrum infrared beam mimics the electromagnetic signature of a helicopter engine, and causes the missile to lose track of where the actual helicopter is. It is said to be effective up to a distance of 2.9 km (1.8 miles). One of the big strengths of this system, according to its makers, is its simple design and off-the-shelf fiber optic parts. “The laser-based infrared countermeasures in use now for some aircraft have 84 pieces of moving optics. They couldn't withstand the shake, rattle and roll of helicopters,” said Mohammed Islam, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “We've used good, old-fashioned stuff from your telephone network to build a laser that has no moving parts.” Islam’s claims may soon be put to the test – his UM spin-off company, Omni Sciences <http://www.omnisciinc.com/index.htm>, has recently received US$1 million in grants from the US Army and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA <http://www.gizmag.com/tag/darpa>) to build a second-generation prototype.
