REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — No, the Army is not building the Death Star.
Contrary to what is in the movies, directed energy does not emit a large red laser nor does it make a loud noise. And if done right, the target will simply fall out of the sky, not explode in brilliant shards of light, set to a John Williams score.
But that is not to say that directed energy is not making remarkable strides in record time. Take Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD, for example. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center and the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office have joined with industry partners to build the next-generation laser weapon. And they did it in less than two years.