Omni Sciences Inc, spun off from the University of Michigan, is using inexpensive, off-the-shelf telecommunications fiber optics for the development of sturdy and portable mid-infrared supercontinuum lasers with various military applications, but especially well suited for helicopters. Battlefield terrain in places like Afghanistan and Iraq can be rough and leave troops to depend on helicopters, which can be easy targets for enemies with shoulder-launched missiles. The laser technology is able to blind heat-seeking devices from a distance of nearly two miles away, potentially allowing helicopters protection from heat-seeking missiles while in combat. Most lasers emit light of just one wavelength, or color; however, supercontinuum lasers give off a focused beam that is packed with light from a variety of wavelengths. Visible-wavelength supercontinuum lasers, for example, discharge tight columns that appear white because they contain light from across the visible spectrum. Mid-infrared supercontinuum lasers are similar but instead operate on longer infrared wavelengths that humans cant see, but can feel as heat. As the new laser is able to emit an incredibly broad spectrum of infrared light, it has the ability to effectively mimic an engines electromagnetic signature to confuse any incoming weapons.
