Search

EXPLOITATION OF LASER TECHNOLOGY was begun by Ferranti Ltd in the early 1960's by developing and producing gas laser devices for the commercial market. Military laser work evolved out of extensive and varied radar business and in 1967 there was designed, developed and produced a stabilising system for a proposed combination of laser rangefinder and television camera for evaluation by the Royal Radar Establishment. From all this, it soon became clear that the laser would take its place beside radar as a military airborne sensor. Two experimental equipments were built which successfully underwent flight trials in a Canberra aircraft belonging to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. One important feature of the early flight trials was that the laser sensor was integrated from the start with a Ferranti FE 541 Inertial Nav/Attack System (INAS) installed in the Canberra and which currently equips the Harrier. Since the laser is complementary to the type of weapon systems, this was an important achievement.