Tactical Beam Director for Airborne High Energy Laser Applications

Most gimbal systems are designed for maximum stiffness and lowest mass. Gimbal stiffness is generally a principal requirement because the control bandwidth and pointing capability are directly related to the stiffness. Typically, the need to satisfy mass and stiffness requirements forces a compromise between the geometry and the materials. To date, design and development of high performance gimbals have been based on increasing the stiffness to the greatest extent possible and then controlling the gimbal with classical control techniques to the highest bandwidth possible. An alternative approach is to utilize flexible body control techniques with a relatively soft gimbal to enable pointing control beyond its first structural mode. Doing so would enable lightweight, low cost gimbals to be incorporated into airborne platforms. This effort will develop the advanced control techniques needed to effect precision pointing of a lightweight beam director.