Office of Naval Research announced that AS&T has been awarded to Develop and Demonstrate the BeaconLess Adaptive-Optic System for HEL Beam Control

Effective performance of future energy-delivering laser systems requires an adaptive optics technique capable of correcting moderate to heavy atmospheric distortion of a high-power laser beam. The AS&T innovative technology implements a beaconless sensor based on detection of a target-scattered light. Post-processing of the beacon light field should enable a complete characterization of the turbulence-perturbed wavefront. In Phase I of this SBIR program AS&T will pursue a comprehensive analysis, modeling, design and integration of the BLAST system, culminating with its proof-of-concept experimental demonstration in the simulated laboratory environment. A prototype-level BLAST system will be designed, integrated and field-tested in a realistic environment if Phase II of this program is awarded.