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Laser Designator

 
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A laser designator is a laser
Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. The term laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation....
 light source which is used to illuminate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery
Artillery

Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force....
 munitions, such as the Paveway
Paveway

Paveway is a trademark of Raytheon Company which identifies its variants of Laser-guided bomb . Lockheed Martin became a second source supplier of LGBs in 2001....
 series of bombs, Lockheed-Martin's Hellfire, or the Copperhead
M712 Copperhead

The M712 "Copperhead" is a 155 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, terminally laser guided, explosive projectile intended to engage hard point targets such as tanks, SP howitzers or other high-value targets....
 round, respectively.






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Laser Designator Sof in Afghanistan
A laser designator is a laser
Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. The term laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation....
 light source which is used to illuminate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery
Artillery

Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force....
 munitions, such as the Paveway
Paveway

Paveway is a trademark of Raytheon Company which identifies its variants of Laser-guided bomb . Lockheed Martin became a second source supplier of LGBs in 2001....
 series of bombs, Lockheed-Martin's Hellfire, or the Copperhead
M712 Copperhead

The M712 "Copperhead" is a 155 mm cannon-launched, fin-stabilized, terminally laser guided, explosive projectile intended to engage hard point targets such as tanks, SP howitzers or other high-value targets....
 round, respectively. Laser designators may be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or handheld. The U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States....
 and U.S. Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 currently employ the Litening II Targeting Pod
LITENING targeting pod

The LITENING targeting pod is a precision targeting pod system currently operational with a wide variety of combat aircraft. LITENING significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the aircraft during day, night and under-the-weather conditions in the attack of ground targets with a variety of standoff weapons ....
 on a variety of strike aircraft. The Litening II is widely used by many other of the world’s air forces. The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
 use the TIALD
TIALD

TIALD, the Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser designator pod, is manufactured by SELEX Galileo and is the UK's laser designator for laser-guided bombs....
 system and the French use the DAMOCLES and ATLIS II
ATLIS II

The Thomson-CSF ATLIS II is a France laser/electro-optical targeting pod for fighter bomber and attack aircraft.ATLIS was developed starting in 1976 in aviation, entering service in 1980 in aviation....
. U.S. Air Force Joint Terminal Air Controllers
Forward air control

A forward air controller is a qualified individual who, from a front line on the ground or in the air, directs the action of military aircraft engaged in close air support of army....
 and Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force....
 Forward Air Controllers
Forward air control

A forward air controller is a qualified individual who, from a front line on the ground or in the air, directs the action of military aircraft engaged in close air support of army....
 typically employ a lightweight device, such as the AN/PED-1 Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder (LLDR), permitting them to designate targets for Close Air Support
Close air support

In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces....
 aircraft flying overhead and in close proximity to friendly forces..

When a target is marked by a designator, the beam is invisible and does not shine continuously. Instead, a series of coded pulses of laser-light are fired. These signals bounce off the target into the sky, where they are detected by the seeker on the laser guided munition, which steers itself towards the centre of the reflected signal. It is important to note that unless the people being targeted possess laser detection equipment or can hear aircraft overhead, it is extremely difficult for them to tell whether they are being marked or not. Laser designators work best in clear atmospheric conditions. Cloud cover, rain or smoke can make reliable designation of targets difficult or even impossible.

See also


  • Guidance system
    Guidance system

    A guidance system is a device or group of devices used to navigation a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or other craft. Typically, this refers to a system that navigates without direct or continuous human control....
  • Targeting pods
    Targeting pods

    Targeting pods are targeting and designation systems for precision-guided weaponry such as laser-guided bombs.The first targeting pods were developed in conjunction with the earliest generation of precision-guided munitions in the mid-1960s....