“I feel as do others here that the LASER may be the biggest breakthrough in the weapons area since the atomic bomb.” This statement, made in 1962 in a letter by Major General August Schomburg, head of the Army Ordnance Missile Command, reflected an attitude that was pervasive in the military in the first years after the birth of the laser. According to one contemporary assessment, there was “scarcely an Air Force, Army [or] Navy agency that does not now support, or talk of sponsoring in the near future, some type of basic or applied research or experimental development with optical masers.”
REFERENCES
1.
Letter from Major General A. Schomburg to Lieutenant General J. H. Hinrichs, 16 January 1962, history office, US Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Ala.
2.
Aviation Wk. Space Tech., 15 January 1962, p. 92.
3.
4.
M. Bertolotti, Masers and Lasers: An Historical Approach, Adam Hilger, Bristol (1983), p. 104.
Letter from J. A. Wheeler to C. Townes, 30 September 1958, in response to letter from Townes to Wheeler, 22 July 1958, sending a copy of Townes's Air Force proposal for research on coherent infrared radiation: copy provided by Townes. TRG Inc. “Proposal to Study the Properties of Laser Devices,” P‐329 (12 December 1958), p. 93.
5.
Interview with L. Goldmuntz by J. Bromberg, Laser History Project, 21 October 1983, p. 13.
For the goal of the ARPA laser program, see Item Brief, ARPA program council case number 217, agenda item 9, meeting of 26 February 1960, ARPA order file 356, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
6.
On Archimedes's alleged use of burning mirrors, see the following: E. J. Dijksterhuis, Archimedes, Princeton U.P., New York (1987), p. 28.
For a science fiction treatment, see H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Octopus Books, New York (1985), ch. 5.
7.
Electronics, 22 December 1961, p. 17.
8.
Office of Aerospace Research, US Air Force Achievements in Research, US Air Force, Washington, D.C. (1965), p. 36.
9.
National Science Board, Science Indicators 1982, National Science Foundation. Washington, D.C. (1983), p. 51.
10.
A. Weinstein, “Memo for Col. Innes,” 8 May 1962, ARPA order file 306, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
11.
Letter from H. Robl, director, physical sciences division, Office of Ordnance Research, to C. W. Cook, Institute for Defense Analysis, 12 September 1960, enclosing a document titled “LASER and IRASER Program” and dated 1 September 1960, ARPA order file 306, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
12.
Objective statement in research and technology work unit summary on contract DA‐ARO(D)‐31‐124‐G‐699, “Optical Equipment,” with Columbia University, Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va.
13.
Untitled report on Army Missile Command laser program, history office, US Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. (1978), pp. 1, 10, 12.
14.
The Rocket, 16 August 1972, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. US Army Aviation Digest, January 1975, p. 24.
G. Widenhofer, History of Laser Designators, 5 November 1982, unpublished document, US Army Missile Command advanced sensors directorate, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. G. Widenhofer, Laser‐Semiactire Guidance, US Army Missile Command advanced sensors directorate, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
See also E. C. Jolliff, History of the United States Army Missile Command, 1962–1977, historical monograph project number DARCOM 84M, history office, US Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. (20 July 1979), p. 169.
15.
Letter from J. H. Hinrichs to A. Schomburg, 2 February 1962, history office, US Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
R. C. Benson, R. O. Godwin, M. R. Mirarchi, “A Single‐Pulse Ruby Laser for Ranging Applications,” ARO report, December 1962, acquisition number AD 332‐016, Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va. M. R. Mirarchi, R. C. Benson, R. Green, “Initial Testing of an Experimental Battery Operated Laser Range Finder,” Army Electronics R&D Activity Report TR 2352, acquisition number AD 336‐587, Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va. (April 1963).
Testimony of G. F. Smith, vice president, Hughes Aircraft Co, US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Laser Technology—Development and Applications, 96th Congress, 1st and 2nd sessions, hearings before the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, serial no. 96–106, 12 and 14 December 1979; 8 and 12 January 1980, US GPO, Washington, D.C. (1980), p. 99.
16.
“Report of the Air Force Space Study Committee,” 20 March 1961, reprinted in History of the Air Research and Development Command, 1 January–31 March, and Air Force Systems Command, 1 April–30 June 1961, volume 3, supporting documents, document 15, Air Force History Center, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
E. O. Dixon, “Investigation and Development of a Sun‐Powered Laser Transmitter,” report TDR‐62‐447AOER‐2‐03 on contract AF‐33‐616‐8025, October 1962, acquisition number AD 292‐146, Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va. D. G. Clute, “LARIAT and the Air Force Avionics Laboratory Electrooptical Research Facility,” technical report AFAL‐TR‐66‐158 on projects AF‐6263 and AF‐5244, Air Force Avionics Laboratory, Wright‐Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio (May 1966).
17.
For criticism of the laser‐guided bomb's performance in Vietnam, see C. E. Hunt, “Guided Bombs—Problems of Utility and Cost,” Air Force Operations Analysis Paper 71‐2, Air Force History Center, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala. (February 1971).
For a more positive evaluation, see D. L. Ockerman, “An Analysis of Laser Guided Bombs in South East Asia,” air operations report 73/4, Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Thailand, Tactical Analysis Division, available at Air Force History Center, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala. (28 June 1973).
See also L. E. McKenney, “Pave Spike/Introduction/Combat Evaluation,” report on project TAC‐71B‐237T, Tactical Air Warfare Center (June 1973), acquisition number AD 526‐308L.
Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va. G. W. Abraham, “Short Trip 29, B‐52/Laser Guided Bomb Feasibility Demonstration,” final report, Strategic Air Command, Omaha, Neb. (July 1973), acquisition number AD 526‐345.
Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va.
18.
“Laser Target Illuminator System, Portion of Laser Designator System (Shedlight 73S) Pave Arrow,” Air Force Advanced Technology Laboratory research and development management report HAF R‐16, Air Force History Center, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala. (26 June 1969).
A. W. Blizzard Jr, E. R. Johnson, J. F. McCormack, “Pave Arrow Laser Target Designator System,” final report, August–December 1968, July 1969, acquisition number AD 507‐034L.
Defense Technical Information Center, Alexandria, Va.
W. C.
Eppers
Jr., Natl. Defense
61
, 210
(November–December 1976
).19.
D. R. Jones, Air Univ. Rev., November–December 1963, p. 44.
20.
Biography: Major General Donald L. Lamberson, US Air Force, Office of Public Affairs (November 1983).
D. Kyrazis, “ALL Departure from KAFB,” presentation to the ceremony marking the departure of the Airborne Laser Laboratory from Kirtland AFB to the Air Force museum at Wright‐Patterson AFB (May 1988), available from Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
See also D. Kyrazis, J. W. Spidle, Getting Started: The Beginnings of Air Force High Energy Laser Work, history office. Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico (September 1960).
21.
“High Power Radiation Weapons,” task order T‐14, 17 February 1961, ARPA order file 306, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
22.
Letter from J. M. Bridges, director, ARPA office of electronics, to K. Brueckner, Institute for Defense Analysis, 13 October 1961.
Letter from A. Weinstein to E. Fubini, 21 December 1961, ARPA order file 306, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
23.
Letter from W. H. Culver to A. Weinstein, 15 December 1961, Culver Papers, Optelecom Co. Gaithersburg, Md. Memorandum from J. P. Ruina, director, ARPA, and E. G. Fubini, deputy director, office of the deputy secretary of defense for research and engineering, to H. Brown, director, defense research and engineering, 19 January 1962, ARPA order file 306, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va. A. Weinstein, “Memorandum for Steering Group on High Power Laser (Project Seaside): Minutes of First Meeting,” 5 February 1962,
ARPA Project Seaside, file 5 February 1962–31 December 1962,
ARPA order files, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
24.
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