Objective With the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology into the iterative upgrading and functional iteration of modern weaponry and equipment, laser directed energy systems have entered a high-speed development stage and are gradually evolving toward unmanned intelligent operation, distributed modular deployment, and multi-platform integrated collaborative combat. In modern intelligent warfare scenarios characterized by increasingly complex battlefield confrontations, dynamic atmospheric interference environments, and diverse large-scale saturation attack threats, traditional technical assessment methods for laser directed energy systems still adopt a relatively single and isolated evaluation paradigm, which overly focuses on the functional optimization of individual equipment and the independent testing of discrete performance parameters. This empirical and localized assessment approach ignores the interactive coupling effect between multiple equipment units and complex environmental interference factors, failing to effectively and comprehensively reflect the overall combat effectiveness, adaptive interference resistance and continuous operational capability of laser systems under multi-device networking, autonomous unmanned collaboration, and complex real combat environments. These inherent technical limitations severely restrict the top-level overall design, systematic performance verification, and large-scale engineering application of next-generation intelligent laser directed energy equipment. To address this prominent technical bottleneck and make up for the obvious deficiencies of traditional single-dimensional evaluation systems, this paper proposes a novel modeling and quantitative assessment method for directed energy laser systems based on standardized normalization strategies, aiming to provide effective technical support for future laser directed energy systems to realize stable autonomous target interception and efficient multi-unit collaborative combat capabilities in variable and complex battlefield scenarios.

Methods This study focuses on the actual autonomous combat capability requirements of modern laser-guided systems and the complex battlefield application limitations. It deeply explores the intrinsic coupling relationships, mutual constraints mechanisms, and multi-dimensional collaborative correlations among various core technical indicators and system operation parameters. Based on the complete operational mechanism of the laser directed energy system from target detection to terminal destruction and the entire scale of combat process, the study scientifically determined five core evaluation dimensions, covering comprehensive laser performance, electro-optical detection capability, tracking performance, aiming performance, and beam aiming performance. Considering the limited actual field test conditions, complex environmental interference, and requirements for engineering test cost control, for different key performance indicators under each core evaluation dimension, appropriate scientific testing methods were reasonably selected and optimized. Through quantitative analysis of the hierarchical constraint mechanisms and multi-level correlation rules among all sub-performance indicators, this paper systematically clarifies the intrinsic influence laws of key technical parameter changes on the overall battlefield combat capability of the laser system, effectively solving the ambiguity of pure qualitative assessment and the one-sidedness of single-index assessment in traditional laser directed energy system research. Relying on the inherent physical propagation characteristics of high-energy laser beams in complex atmospheric environments, this method uses mature industry standard core technical parameters as a unified quantitative assessment benchmark. Through standardized theoretical modeling derivation, systematic mathematical parameter calculation, and comparative analysis of multiple sets of controlled test data, an accurate normalized quantitative assessment of the system's comprehensive lethality is achieved. Additionally, combined with a large amount of actual field test data and typical battlefield environmental characteristic parameters, this study systematically verified the established theoretical model and constructed a multi-level comprehensive evaluation framework, achieving the unification of theoretical calculation simulation and actual field measurement. To further verify the scientific rationality and engineering feasibility of the established evaluation model and test system, this paper takes the already maturely deployed ship-launched LaWS system of the US Navy as an example, based on its official released public development plan and real combat performance data, conducts a systematic quantitative analysis.

Results and Discussions A quantitative power assessment and systematic performance analysis were conducted, accurately identifying the inherent technical flaws and operational limitations of the early LaWS system's power synthesis mode in complex battlefield environments. The analyzed optimization directions and performance improvement strategies were highly consistent with the technical upgrade plans adopted by the subsequent US Army's AN/SEQ-4 HELIOS laser system, fully verifying the reliability and application value of the proposed normalized lethality assessment method.

Conclusions The research results of this article provide solid theoretical support and standardized technical solutions for the overall performance evaluation, key indicator testing, and on-site testing system construction of laser directional energy systems. The established multidimensional quantitative evaluation framework provides an important technical foundation for the optimization design of laser systems for unmanned autonomous interception and distributed collaborative combat modes. Meanwhile, the universal modeling and evaluation ideas can effectively guide the technical demonstration, performance optimization, and iterative upgrading of the next generation laser weapons, providing valuable references for the engineering development and practical combat applications of directional energy equipment.