Experiments on the installation of laser weapons on ships in the USSR have been carried out since the 70s of the XX century.
In 1976, the terms of reference (TOR) for the re-equipment of the Project 770 SDK-20 landing craft into the Foros experimental vessel (Project 10030) with the Aquilon laser complex was approved. In 1984, the ship under the designation OS-90 "Foros" joined the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR and at the Feodosiya training ground. For the first time in the history of the Soviet Navy, test firing from the "Akvilon" laser cannon was carried out. The shooting was successful, the low-flying missile was timely detected and destroyed by a laser beam.
Subsequently, the "Aquilon" complex was installed on a small artillery ship, built according to the modified project 12081. The power of the complex was reduced, its purpose was to disable optoelectronic means and damage the eyes of the enemy antiamphibious defense personnel.
At the same time, the Aydar project was being worked out to create the most powerful shipborne laser installation in the USSR. In 1978, the Vostok-3 timber carrier was converted into a laser weapon carrier - the Dixon ship (project 05961). Three jet engines from a Tu-154 aircraft were installed on the ship as an energy source for the Aydar laser installation.
During tests in 1980, a laser salvo was fired at a target located at a distance of 4 kilometers. The target was hit the first time, but no one from those present saw the beam itself and the visible destruction of the target. The impact was recorded by a thermal sensor installed on the target, the beam efficiency was 5%, presumably a significant part of the beam energy was absorbed by moisture evaporation from the sea surface.
In the United States, research aimed at creating combat laser weapons has also been carried out since the 70s of the last century, when the ASMD (Anti-Ship Missile Defense) program began. Initially, work was carried out on gas-dynamic lasers, but then the emphasis shifted to chemical lasers.
In 1973, TRW began work on an experimental demonstration model of a continuous fluoride-deuterium laser NACL (Navy ARPA Chemical Laser), with a power of about 100 kW. Research and development work (R&D) on the NACL complex was carried out until 1976.
In 1977, the US Department of Defense launched the Sea Light program, aimed at developing a high-energy laser installation with a capacity of up to 2 MW. As a result, a polygon installation for a fluoride-deuterium chemical laser "MIRACL" (Mid-IniaRed Advanced Chemical Laser) was created, operating in a continuous mode of radiation generation, with a maximum output power of 2.2 MW at a wavelength of 3.8 μm, its first tests were conducted in September 1980.
In 1989, at the White Sands test center, experiments were carried out using the MIRACL laser complex to intercept radio-controlled targets of the BQM-34 type, simulating the flight of anti-ship missiles (ASM) at subsonic speeds. Subsequently, intercepts of supersonic (M = 2) Vandal missiles were carried out, simulating an attack by anti-ship missiles at low altitudes. During tests conducted from 1991 to 1993, the developers clarified the criteria for the destruction of missiles of various classes, and also carried out practical interception of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), simulating the use of anti-ship missiles by the enemy.
In the late 1990s, the use of a chemical laser as a ship weapon was abandoned due to the need to store and use toxic components.
In the future, the US Navy and other NATO countries focused on lasers, which are powered by electrical energy.
As part of the SSL-TM program, Raytheon has created a 33 kW LaWS (Laser Weapon System) demo laser complex. On trials in 2012, the LaWS complex, from the Dewey destroyer (EM) (of the Arleigh Burke class), hit 12 BQM-I74A targets.
LaWS complex is modular, power is gained by summing beams of solid-state infrared lasers of lower power. The lasers are housed in a single massive body. Since 2014, the LaWS laser complex has been installed on the USS Ponce (LPD-15) warship to assess the effect of real operating conditions on the operability and effectiveness of the weapon. By 2017, the capacity of the complex was to be increased to 100 kW.
Demonstration of the LaWS laser
Currently, several American companies, including Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Locheed Martin, are developing laser self-defense systems for ships based on solid-state and fiber lasers. To reduce the risks, the US Navy is simultaneously implementing several programs aimed at obtaining laser weapons. Due to the change of names as part of the transfer of projects from one company or another, or the merger of projects, there may be overlaps in names.
According to American media reports, the project of the promising US Navy frigate FFG (X) includes the requirement to install a 150 kW combat laser (or reserve a place for installation), under the control of the COMBATSS-21 combat system.
In addition to the United States, the greatest interest in sea-based lasers is shown by the former "ruler of the seas" - Great Britain. The lack of a laser industry does not allow the project to be implemented on its own, in connection with which, in 2016, the British Ministry of Defense announced a tender for the development of an LDEW (Laser Directed Energy Weapon) technology demonstrator, which was won by the German company MBDA Deutschland. In 2017, the consortium unveiled a full-size prototype of the LDEW laser.
Earlier in 2016, MBDA Deutschland introduced the Laser effector, which can be installed on land and sea carriers and is designed to destroy UAVs, missiles and mortar shells. The complex provides defense in the 360-degree sector, has a minimum reaction time and is capable of repelling attacks coming from different directions. The company says its laser has huge development potential.
“Recently, MBDA Deutschland has invested heavily from its budget in laser technology. We have achieved significant results in comparison with other companies , - says the head of the company for sales and business development Peter Heilmeyer.
German companies are on a par with, and possibly overtake, US companies in the laser arms race, and are quite capable of being the first to present not only land-based, but also sea-based laser systems
In France, DCNS's promising Advansea project is being considered using full electric propulsion technology. The Advansea project is planned to be equipped with a 20 megawatt electricity generator capable of meeting the needs, including of promising laser weapons.
In Russia, according to media reports, laser weapons can be deployed on the promising nuclear destroyer Leader. On the one hand, a nuclear power plant allows us to assume that there is enough power to provide power to laser weapons, on the other hand, this project is at the stage of preliminary design, and it is clearly premature to talk about anything specific.
Separately, it is necessary to highlight the American project of a free electron laser - Free Electron Laser (FEL), developed in the interests of the US Navy. Laser weapons of this type have significant differences compared to other types of lasers.
Radiation in a free electron laser is generated by a monoenergetic beam of electrons moving in a periodic system of deflecting electric or magnetic fields. By changing the energy of the electron beam, as well as the strength of the magnetic field and the distance between the magnets, it is possible to vary the frequency of laser radiation over a wide range, receiving radiation at the output in the range from X-ray to microwave.
Free electron lasers are large, which makes it difficult to place them on small carriers. In this sense, large surface ships are the optimal carriers of this type of laser.
Boeing is developing the FEL laser for the US Navy. A prototype 14 kW FEL laser was demonstrated in 2011. At the moment, the state of work on this laser is unknown; it was planned to gradually increase the radiation power up to 1 MW. The main difficulty is the creation of an electron injector of the required power.
Despite the fact that the dimensions of the FEL laser will exceed the dimensions of lasers of comparable power based on other technologies (solid-state, fiber), its ability to change the radiation frequency over a wide range will allow you to choose the wavelength in accordance with weather conditions and the type of target to be hit. The appearance of FEL lasers of sufficient power is difficult to expect in the near future, but rather it will happen after 2030.
Compared to other types of armed forces, the placement of laser weapons on warships has both advantages and disadvantages.
On existing ships, the power of laser weapons that can be installed during modernization is limited by the capabilities of electric generators. The newest and most promising ships are being developed on the basis of electric propulsion technologies, which will provide laser weapons with sufficient electricity.
There is much more space on ships than on ground and air carriers, therefore there are no problems with the placement of large-sized equipment. Finally, there are opportunities to provide effective cooling of laser equipment.
On the other hand, ships are in an aggressive environment - sea water, salt fog. High humidity above the sea surface will significantly reduce the power of laser radiation when targets are hit above the water surface, and therefore the minimum power of a laser weapon suitable for deployment on ships can be estimated at 100 kW.
For ships, the need to defeat "cheap" targets, such as mines and unguided missiles, is not so critical; such weapons can pose a limited threat only in their basing areas. Also, the threat posed by small vessels cannot be considered as a justification for the deployment of laser weapons, although in some cases they can cause serious damage.
Small-sized UAVs pose a certain threat to ships, both as a reconnaissance tool and as a means of destroying vulnerable points of the ship, for example, radar. The defeat of such UAVs with missile and cannon weapons can be difficult, and in this case, the presence of laser defensive weapons on board the ship will completely solve this problem.
Anti-ship missiles (ASM), against which laser weapons can be used, can be divided into two subgroups:
- low-flying subsonic and supersonic anti-ship missiles;
- supersonic and hypersonic anti-ship missiles attacking from above, including along an aeroballistic trajectory.
With regard to low-flying anti-ship missiles, an obstacle for laser weapons will be the curvature of the earth's surface, which limits the range of a direct shot, and the saturation of the lower atmosphere with water vapor, which reduces the power of the beam.
To increase the affected area, options are being considered for placing the emitting elements of laser weapons on the superstructure. The power of a laser suitable for destroying modern low-flying anti-ship missiles will most likely be 300 kW or more.
The affected area of anti-ship missiles attacking along a high-altitude trajectory will be limited only by the power of laser radiation and the capabilities of guidance systems.
The most difficult target will be hypersonic anti-ship missiles, both due to the minimum time spent in the affected area, and due to the presence of standard thermal protection. However, the thermal protection is optimized for heating the anti-ship missile body during flight, and the additional kilowatts will obviously not benefit the rocket.
The need for guaranteed destruction of hypersonic anti-ship missiles will require the placement of lasers on board the ship with a power exceeding 1 MW, the best solution would be a free electron laser. Also, laser weapons of this power can be used against low-orbit spacecraft.
From time to time, in publications on military topics, including on the Military Review, information is discussed about the weak security of anti-ship missiles with a radar homing head (RL seeker), against radio-electronic interference and masking curtains used from board the ship. The solution to this problem is considered to be the use of a multispectral seeker, including television and thermal imaging channels. The presence of laser weapons on board the ship, even with a minimum power of about 100 kW, can neutralize the advantages of an anti-ship missile with a multispectral seeker, due to the constant or temporary blinding of sensitive matrices.
In the United States, variants of acoustic laser guns are being developed, which make it possible to reproduce intense sound vibrations at a considerable distance from the radiation source. Perhaps, on the basis of these technologies, ship lasers can be used to create acoustic interference or false targets for enemy sonars and torpedoes.
Thus, it can be assumed that the appearance of laser weapons on warships will increase their resistance to all types of attack weapons
The main obstacle to placing laser weapons on ships is the lack of the necessary electrical power. In this regard, the emergence of a truly effective laser weapon will most likely begin only with the commissioning of promising ships with full electric propulsion technology.
A limited number of lasers with a power of about 100-300 kW can be installed on the modernized ships.
On submarines, the placement of laser weapons with a power of 300 kW or more with the output of radiation through a terminal device located on the periscope will allow the submarine to engage enemy anti-submarine aircraft from the periscope depth - anti-submarine defense (ASW) aircraft and helicopters.
A further increase in laser power, from 1 MW and above, will allow damage or completely destroy low-orbit spacecraft, according to external target designation. The advantages of placing such weapons on submarines: high stealth and global reach of the carrier. The ability to move in the World Ocean to an unlimited range will allow a submarine - a carrier of a laser weapon to reach a point that is optimal for destroying a space satellite, taking into account its flight path. And secrecy will make it difficult for the enemy to make claims (well, the spacecraft went out of order, how to prove who shot it down, if obviously the armed forces were not present in this region).
In general, at the initial stage, the navy will feel the benefits of the introduction of laser weapons to a lesser extent in comparison with other types of armed forces. However, in the future, as anti-ship missiles continue to improve, laser systems will become an integral part of the air defense / missile defense of surface ships, and, possibly, submarines.
