- Why do AATIP DIRDs cover conventional weapons like HPM and lasers?
- The AATIP/AAWSAP DIRDs used known advanced U.S. and foreign military technology as a performance baseline to assess whether observed UAP capabilities exceeded what was achievable with contemporary human technology. DIRD-03 (pulsed high-power microwave source technology, January 2010) and DIRD-23 (high-energy laser weapons, March 2010) are two examples produced under DIA's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program.
- What does DIRD-23 say about SDI and space-based lasers?
- DIRD-23 (DIA-08-1003-019, March 31 2010) surveys megawatt-class HEL weapon technology and traces the history of chemical, solid-state, fiber, and free-electron laser programs including Strategic Defense Initiative era space-based laser concepts. It was produced under the AAWSA program with an information cutoff of December 1, 2009.
- How does the National Aerospace Plane appear in the DIRDs?
- DIRD-06 (DIA-08-1001-006, March 8 2010) traces space-access propulsion history from Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory hypersonic glider programs through NASP (the X-30 program), as a baseline for evaluating what human-engineered hypersonic technology could achieve by 2009. DIRD-05 (materials for advanced aerospace platforms, January 2010) also references advanced airframe materials in the NASP context.