Tactical Laser Systems (Airborne)
Advanced Laser Designator/Rangefinder (ALD/RF)
Kollsman has a line of advanced Laser Designators designed to meet the requirements of helicopter and UAV EO Payloads. The laser transmitter is based on a high power Nd:YAG that is pumped using a high efficiency diode pumping module. An optional OPO module is used to shift the laser wavelength from 1.06 µm to an eyesafe wavelength of 1.57 µm to an eyesafe rangefinding operation.
Versions have been developed as form, fit, and function upgrade/replacements for the aging flash lamp pumped lasers of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and AH-64/D Apache Attack Helicopters. Other product line includes Gunship/Hawkeye variants under development.
Advantages of the ALD/RF include:
- High pumping efficiency (lower power requirement means lower cooling requirement for a given output energy)
- High Beam Quality (low divergence and highly uniform beam energy)
- Low maintenance conductive cooling
- Very high reliability (only two-moving components)
- Selectable eyesafe laser rangefinder mode for training
- Very high transmitter life
- Modular design provides high degree of commonality between versions, thus lowering acquisition costs
