Laser weapons systems are far from a new concept, but some significant problems remain in their daily development.
According to David James of the University of Cranfield (UK), such systems fall into two broad categories. The first includes weapons designed to engage scopes and other optical sensors, while the second focuses on the fight against unguided missiles and drones. Systems from the second category are attracting more and more attention of the military, as laser weapons become more effective and energy sources decrease in size. James noted:
“These systems have a number of advantages. They offer almost infinite ammunition … if the power supply is working, then the laser system will continue to function. They are relatively easy to use, which means that the process of staff training is not too complicated."
From sea to land
As James noted, in the past decades, a significant amount of work has been done in this area, especially in the maritime sector, where a number of programs are considering the feasibility of using lasers to combat threats such as naval UAVs or small boats.
Ship-based systems were the first to appear, since they have easy access to a high-power source of power, while the increase in the effectiveness of laser weapons makes them increasingly accessible to the ground forces. This is most clearly demonstrated by the project of the American army to create a prototype and deploy the first combat laser system. Systems with a capacity of 50 kW will be installed on four Stryker armored vehicles in 2022 in order to support the tasks of mobile short-range air defense, designated M-SHORAD (Maneuver - Short-Range Air Defense) for the protection of combat brigades from UAVs, unguided missiles, artillery and mortar fire and aviation helicopter type.
“Now is the time to bring the directed energy weaponry to the battlefield,” said Neil Thurgood, director of the US Army's Office of Hypersonic, Directed Energy and Space Weapons, during the award of the contract. - The army recognizes the need for directed energy lasers, which is provided for in the army's modernization plan. This is no longer research or demonstration activity. This is a strategic combat capability and we are on the right track that will bring it right into the hands of the soldiers."
As noted by James, such developments could help fill the gap in potential combat capabilities, especially with regard to UAVs. When a large number of drones appear on the battlefield, ground troops must be able to deal with the threat. Currently, this task is being solved by firing small arms and machine guns from a very close range, although it is obvious that it is very difficult to conduct aimed fire here. A kinetic alternative would be surface-to-air missiles. However, unlike rockets, drones are much cheaper to manufacture and operate.
“The economic pros are that it’s not profitable for you to use missiles against a swarm of drones, since the missiles would then run out very quickly. You have to keep your rocket arsenal for more important targets like planes or helicopters."
Another advantage of lasers is their speed.
“Since the“ammunition”moves at the speed of light, in fact, if you even momentarily place the beam on the target, then you hit the drone … even if it crosses your line of sight at a terrible speed, you simply aim the laser at the enemy platform - and the target is yours.
Regardless of the threat
Craig Robin, head of the US Army's Directed Energy Project Office, agrees, adding that laser weapon systems are also insensitive to threats.
"Most materials do not hold high temperatures, if you focus the laser on a mine or a drone, your impact will be fatal."
All this, of course, provides advantages from a financial point of view, but at the same time, laser systems can reduce the amount of material and technical supply for the military.
“As for kinetic means, you have to make rockets, you have to maintain rockets, you have to write them off. This clearly does not apply to power-supplied weapons systems, that is, they significantly reduce the logistical burden."
Robin's office is part of the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). Under Thurgood's leadership, the organization is working to incorporate new technologies into experimental developments that may reach the soldiers. Directed energy is the main focus of this activity.
In the work on the M-SHORAD laser, the developments of the previous MHHEL project (Multi-Mission High-Energy Laser) were used, which also provided for the installation of a 50 kW laser on the Stryker machine and the production of one prototype in 2021. However, RCCTO decided to expand the scope of the project, so four lasers are currently planned to be deployed. Working in conjunction with prime contractor Kord Technologies, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are competing on this project with their M-SHORAD prototypes.
RCCTO is involved in other directed energy projects. The main emphasis is on protection from indirect fire, which will be provided by the weapon system installed on the Stryker vehicle. Known as the Indirect Fire Protection Capability - High-Energy Laser, this project is a further development of the High-Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator program to move from a 100 kW system to a 300 kW laser and deliver it to the troops by 2024.
The army previously installed a 10-kW laser on the Stryker machine as part of the MEHEL (Mobile Experimental High-Energy Laser) project, which formed the basis for work on the M-SHORAD.
The decision to increase the power of the weapons was based on the successful development process. As Robin explained, "When it comes to technology maturity, industry investment has helped speed up the whole process and get good results."
Fiber optics
Scott Schnorrenberg of Kord Technologies said there has been a shift from solid-state lasers to spectrally combined fiber devices, "which are significantly more efficient and have reduced size." He added that obvious advances in high-capacity batteries, power generation and thermal management systems are playing a big role, allowing very powerful laser systems to be installed on relatively small combat vehicles.
Kord is currently focusing on the development of technology in the R&D phase and its use in prototyping and subsequent production. Schnorrenberg also pointed to the logistics advantages of lasers, noting that "they are also equipped with powerful sensors to provide additional information gathering and targeting capabilities on the battlefield." He believes that after the deployment of systems for the M-SHORAD project and other programs, the scope of lasers should expand in the coming years.
“You see lasers are rapidly evolving, expanding onto other platforms and expanding the range of missions they can perform, such as explosive ordnance disposal, countering reconnaissance assets, precision targeting, concentrated radiant power and high-speed data transmission. The expanding range of potential targets will undoubtedly contribute to an increase in the range of basic platforms on which laser systems will be installed”.
Evan Hunt, Head of High Power Lasers at Raytheon, also noted the possibility of target tracking with laser systems.
“With the push of a button after identifying a drone as a threat, you can instantly shoot it down, and it will be such a short-lived process where the drone starts falling at the same time as the button is pressed. This is a revolutionary way of hitting targets in comparison with traditional ammunition, which may well miss and fly to pieces in different directions."
"We're talking about a new type of technology that allows quite independently to detect, track, identify and engage targets in a way that can potentially be used even in relatively close proximity to industrial or residential areas without causing great destruction."
Shooting down drones
Along with participation in the M-SHORAD project, Raytheon pays special attention to the development of laser weapons to combat small-sized drones, in particular, in its concept of a "laser dune buggy" - a powerful laser in combination with a multispectral sighting system of its own design, installed on an all-terrain vehicle Polaris MRZR.
The system is being manufactured for the United States Air Force, and delivery of three platforms is planned for 2020. At the end of the same year, these three mobile units will be deployed overseas for operational evaluation.
Raytheon shot down more than 100 drones from its buggy during numerous air force and military shows. The Air Force could use the system for a number of tasks, for example, the car could be parked at the end of the runway to jam or destroy unwanted UAVs entering the airspace. Hunt noted:
“Lasers have truly proven to be the most accurate and effective means of direct hitting drones. The "magic combination" of characteristics allows you to silently and discreetly disable several drones at once in a very accurate and inexpensive way, so they are not as destructive as kinetic weapons."
Before laser weapons enter service in significant quantities, it is necessary to solve a number of urgent tasks. Robin noted that the laser itself is one of three important elements of the weapon installation, along with a beam controller that accurately directs the beam to the threat and accompanies it, and a subsystem for generating and managing energy. The latter subsystem should be compact enough for installation in vehicles, although in this case, developments from the automotive sector can be taken advantage of, in particular the development of battery systems, which contributed to the rapid development of electric vehicles. “You want to drive your electric car at the same speed for an extended period of time, which is very similar to how you want a laser to work,” continued Hunt. "The requirements for this technology and lasers are similar and overlap here."
According to James, the reduction in the size of the power supply systems is the limiting factor. He expects the US Army and its partners to face the challenges of placing such equipment in the Stryker. In addition, he noted that not all targets in the M-SHORAD system are the same and there are questions about what level of damage will be required for different types of platforms.
“If these are just drones that you are hunting, then it narrows the range of targets in that sense, decreases the range of materials from which they are made. If this is a very large drone, then it might be worth using a surface-to-air missile."
On the other hand, according to James, range is the most important factor to consider: the more distance you want to cause damage, the more power is needed. He noticed that the atmosphere is full of various particles that scatter light, that is, there will never be one hundred percent light transmission. At a distance of one kilometer, the atmosphere can be 85% permeable, that is, 15% of the light will not reach the target. At a distance of more than 5 km, losses can be 50%, "that is, half of the photons are simply lost, the laser beam loses its strength and does not reach the target."
Learn to fight
“The main challenge for military users will be training in dealing with an expanding set of targets,” said Chris Frye, director of close air defense at Northrop Grumman, although he noted that they are moving away from experimental technology demonstrations and moving to real soldier exploitation. "Will allow to adopt, adapt and improve the technology." In addition to the M-SHORAD project, Northrop Grumman has worked with the US Army on a number of other directed energy programs, as well as with the Naval Research and Development Administration, DARPA, Air Force Laboratory and other customers.
“The focus is on building complex base systems,” added Fry. “This is not only about the laser, but the entire system: radar, command and control system, network, platform, power generation and control. The maximum efficiency of all of these components and how they work together is important to maximize the potential of the system.”
Northrop Grumman said that although the weight, size and power consumption of systems have been significantly reduced over the past decade, they expect to accelerate this process in the coming years. Also, the ability of laser systems to track threats and "keep photons on the target for as long as necessary to provide the desired effect" has significantly increased.
Creation
Schnorrenberg said the biggest challenge right now is production constraints. Due to the limited number of laser systems developed to date, the production base is undeveloped, that is, the most important components still need to be finalized for high-volume production scenarios.
“The US government is investing in manufacturing facilities to address this problem,” he added. “Ultimately, industry will eventually provide the executive mechanisms to develop this base.”
This is key to the US Army's goal-setting for the M-SHORAD program. The contract announcement noted that the selection of Northrop Grumman and Raytheon "will promote competition and stimulate the industrial foundation for directed energy systems."
James hopes that the laser will evolve as a weapon of war in its own way in the years to come. Although he doubts that lasers will work as completely separate systems, he believes that they will certainly become a significant addition to other weapons. It is unlikely that air defense systems, for example, will consist of lasers alone, but they will become part of a wider system that will include missiles. In addition, to combat targets at ultra-short distances, the military will most likely want to leave a separate soldier.
"Perhaps lasers will forever be part of the core system."
“To make lasers really effective and more useful to the US military, their cost must come down,” Robin said. However, any technology emerging from a niche market will play a more prominent role over time.
"As prototypes and demonstration tests grow in number - not only in the army, but also in other types of the armed forces - we will soon witness an expansion of this market and a decrease in the cost of laser weapons systems."
