The most common way to neutralize or destroy any system is to concentrate enough energy on it … And this can be done in various ways. Until now, in the military sphere, the most common was the physical impact of a projectile, whose energy and mechanical properties guaranteed the infliction of damage sufficient to destroy or incapacitate the target or significantly reduce its combat capabilities
One of the drawbacks of this approach is that in order to hit a moving target, it is necessary to estimate the amount of advance required to meet the projectile with the target, since a certain time will pass from the moment of the shot until the target is hit, depending on the initial speed and distance. But to have a weapon that actually has zero flight time is the dream of any soldier.
This weapon, however, already exists and its name is LASER (short for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) - a method of concentrating energy on a target due to a beam of light that travels a distance to it at the "speed of light". Thus, the problem of anticipation in this case is no longer initially present.
Since there is no perfect system, there are several problems that need to be addressed in order to use the "laser" as a weapon. The amount of energy retained on the target is proportional to the power of the laser radiation and the time the beam is retained on the target. Thus, target tracking becomes the main problem. Also, the power of the system brings its own problems, directly related to the size and energy consumption, because the military, as a rule, needs mobile systems, that is, these "laser installations" must be integrated into the platform. Extremely high output laser weapons with low power consumption and limited size remain a dream, at least for now.
At the same time, the LFEX (Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment) experiment was carried out in Japan a couple of years ago. A beam with a power of two petawatts, in other words, a quadrillion (1015) watt, an ultra-short period of time was activated, one picosecond (1012 seconds). According to Japanese scientists, the energy required for this activation was the equivalent of the energy required to power the microwave for two seconds. At this point, it would be good to shout "Eureka!" As all problems seem to be solved. But it was not there, the nuisance crept here from the side of the size, because in order to achieve a power of 2 petawatts, the LFEX system needs a case 100 meters long. Thus, numerous laser system companies are trying to solve the power-energy-size equation in different ways. As a result, more and more weapon systems are emerging, while the psychological resistance to this new category of military weapons appears to be decreasing.
Germany at work
In Europe, two main groups, led by Rheinmetall and MBDA, deal with HEL (High Energy Laser) lasers as defensive and offensive weapons. In the fall of 2013, the German team held an extensive demonstration at their Swiss Ochsenboden test site, in which high-energy lasers were installed on various types of platforms. Mobile HEL Effector Track V class 5 kW was installed on the M113 armored personnel carrier, Mobile HEL Effector Wheel XX class 20 kW on the universal armored vehicle GTK Boxer 8x8, and finally, the Mobile HEL Effector Container L class 50 kW was installed in the reinforced Drehtainer container on the chassis of the Tatra 8x8 truck.
Of particular note is the 30 kW stationary Laser Weapon Demonstrator installed on the Skyshield gun turret and demonstrated the ability to repel multiple attacks from RAM-type objects (unguided missiles, artillery and mortar shells) and drones. The wheeled platform has shown its ability to neutralize UAVs at a distance of up to 1500 meters, and was also used to detonate a cartridge in a cartridge belt for the purpose of "technical" jamming of a large-caliber machine gun. If we talk about the tracked system, then it was used to neutralize IEDs and clear obstacles, for example, burning barbed wire from a long distance. A more powerful system in a container was used to disrupt the operation of optoelectronic systems at a distance of up to 2 km.
At the same time, the stationary tower installation was able to burn out an 82-mm mortar round at a distance of one kilometer, keeping the beam on the target for 4 seconds. Further, the installation hit 90% of the steel balls with explosives, imitating 82-mm mortar rounds, which were fired in a burst one after another. Also, the installation took on escort and destroyed three jet UAVs. Rheinmetall continued to develop directed energy systems and presented several new systems and devices at IDEX 2017. According to experts from Rheinmetall, a significant number of laser weapons systems have entered the market in the past five years. Depending on the platform, the military specification test methodology is very close to that used for optocoupler systems. “With regard to ground systems, we believe that we are at the stage of TRL 5-6 (technology demonstration sample),” the experts noted, stressing that further efforts should be directed to weight and size and energy consumption characteristics, and the greatest work is related to safety systems. However, the situation is changing quite quickly and “over the past eight years we have done what has been done in the field of rifles over the past 600 years,” the company believes. In addition to land applications, Rheinmetall is also working on marine systems. In 2015, laser weapons were tested on board a decommissioned vessel; these are the first tests of a laser in Europe as part of ship-to-shore missions.
In its “Below Patriot” concept (“Below the Patriot complex”, a solution to neutralize military assets that cannot be stopped by larger air defense systems based on missile systems), Rheinmetall is integrating, in addition to missiles and guns, a laser installed in the Skyshield tower. This customizable 30 kW laser is used to counter UAVs and is particularly effective against massive attacks. It is believed that a 20 kW beam is sufficient for use on such aircraft, especially light ones, which may pose the greatest threat under the "Below Patriot" concept. The process of melting occurs at a distance, while the electronic circuits of the drone are disabled or catastrophic damage to the material occurs. The required accuracy is 3 cm at a distance of one kilometer, which, according to Rheinmetall, is achievable; it predicts the adoption of a Class 1 installation within two to three years.
A 10-kW laser mount was installed on top of the new Sea Snake-27 stabilized shipborne gun mount. Rheinmetall has proposed a practical application for such a laser - cutting radar masts or enemy radio antennas - something like the laser equivalent of a warning shot from a cannon. A similar laser was also presented on a prototype of an ultralight remote-controlled tower made entirely of carbon fiber, which weighs only 80 kg with actuators and optronics and has a load capacity of 150 kg. Last but not least, the smallest laser system on this show with a 3 kW power was presented in a remotely controlled weapon station mounted on the turret of a modernized Leopard 2 tank. IED). According to Rheinmetall, the market is currently awaiting Class 1 laser systems. Maximum power is not a problem here, additional systems can be combined according to a modular concept, for example two 50 kW or three 30 kW emitters can be installed to achieve higher power levels. …
The company is also working on technologies that can partially compensate for the effects of weather on the beam. A high power of about 100 kW is considered for the tasks of combating missiles, artillery shells and mortar rounds, as well as for blinding optoelectronic systems at significant ranges. For the second task, it is believed that an adjustable power output is desirable, thus saving energy for repeated “firing”. Rheinmetall is working closely with the German Bundeswehr on a program to develop a new high-energy laser facility.
Great Britain is trying too
In January 2017, the British Department of Defense announced that it had signed an agreement to develop a demonstration laser weapon with a specially created industrial group known as Dragonfire. The Dragonfire group, led by MBDA, was formed out of the understanding that no company can independently execute the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) program. Thus, this solution brings together the best practices of the British industry: MBDA will provide its expertise in the main weapon system, advanced weapon control system, imaging systems and coordinate its efforts with QinetiQ (laser source research and technology demonstration), Selex / Leonardo (modern optics, target designation and target tracking systems), GKN (innovative energy storage technologies), BAE Systems and Marshall Land Systems (integration of sea and land platforms) and Arke (maintenance throughout the entire service life). Demonstration tests scheduled for 2019 will show that laser weapons are capable of dealing with typical targets at a distance, both on land and at sea.
The contract worth 35 million euros will allow this industrial group to use various technologies and test the capabilities of the system to detect, track and neutralize targets at different distances, in changing weather conditions, on water and land. The goal is to provide the UK with significant capabilities in high-energy laser weapon systems. This will lay the foundation for the operational advantage provided by technology, as well as the free export of such systems in support of the Prosperity program described in the UK's 2015 Defense and Security Strategic Review. for 2019, with the defeat of typical targets on land and at sea. Demonstrations will include initial planning of a combat mission and target detection, transmission of a laser beam to a control device, its guidance and tracking, an assessment of the degree of combat damage, as well as a demonstration of the possibility of moving to the next cycle. The project will not only help in deciding on the future of the program, but will also help DSTL establish a commissioning plan that, if successfully tested, is projected around the mid-2020s. In addition to the Dragonfire program, the British DSTL Laboratory is implementing an additional program to test the effect of laser weapons on probable targets of various types; the first tests were carried out on an 82-mm mortar shell.
Germany again
The European missile manufacturer MBDA is actively working with the German government and the military on laser weapons. Starting with a prototype technology demonstration in 2010, she pioneered a single 5 kW beam and then mechanically connected the two to create a 10 kW beam. In 2012, a new laboratory facility was equipped with four 10-kW lasers to conduct experiments to intercept missiles, artillery shells and mortar ammunition. Tests were carried out at the end of 2012, engineers tried to integrate this installation into several containers in a series of tests in the Alps, but it was definitely difficult to call this system mobile. Thus, the next step was to develop a prototype that could be easily deployed in the field. In 2014-2016, scientists and engineers worked hard on it at the Schrobenhausen test site, which resulted in the first experiments with the new system, carried out in October last year.
The tests were carried out at the Putlos training base in the Baltic Sea and, above all, they were aimed at testing the guidance and beam correction system with simulated hitting targets at various distances; for this, a quadcopter was used as an air target. The choice of this test site was associated, first of all, with security considerations, as well as with the fact that the fleets are currently most actively engaged in the development of laser weapons installations. The new demo was installed in a 20ft ISO container; the reason for this is to reduce costs, since in this case it did not require a lot of integration work, as opposed to installing the system on a military platform. In this case, the laser system does not occupy the entire volume inside the container. Another cost-saving measure was the decision not to integrate the power supply into the pilot plant itself, although the available excess volume would allow it to be done if necessary. The extra volume could also allow for a mechanism to be added to lower the top of the laser guiding device into the interior of the shipping container. All these solutions can be implemented in the system already in service. MBDA Germany is currently awaiting the next phase of testing, which will test the entire system, including the generation of a powerful laser beam. This should happen in late 2017-early 2018.
The new demonstration unit is based on a beam generating system and a guiding device, the two devices are mechanically separated from each other. The current source is one 10 kW fiber laser built into the container along with all equipment, computers and heat removal system, etc. The laser beam is projected through a fiber optic into a guiding device. The experience already gained by MBDA was used here. However, some parts have been developed specifically for this laser system, which significantly improves accuracy, angular velocity and acceleration compared to standard systems. Separating the two elements also allows for 360 ° continuous azimuth coverage, while elevation angles range from + 90 ° to -90 °, thus covering a sector of more than 180 °. In order to optimize the beam aiming unit, a telescopic optical system is also integrated into it. Acceleration and yaw rate are key when dealing with highly maneuverable targets such as micro and mini UAVs, and when it comes to repelling massive attacks. Another key factor is power, because the higher the power, the less time it takes to destroy / neutralize the target. In this regard, the developers have tried to ensure that the new experimental setup could accept various laser sources, which, when combined, can increase the output power. In addition, the decoupling of the laser generator and the guiding device will allow in the future to accept new types of laser generators with a higher energy density, which makes it possible to pack more power in a smaller module. MBDA Germany is closely monitoring the development of energy supplies, as beam quality remains a key factor. As with the previous laboratory setup, only mirrors were used that can easily handle more power than lenses, the latter were removed from the system due to thermal issues. The guide device can thus withstand a power of more than 50 kW. Although the theoretical limit of 120-150 kW seems quite realistic.
MBDA Germany believes that the anti-UAV system should have an output power of 20 to 50 kW; the same amount of energy is needed to combat speedboats, the preferred target of the fleet. The company has invested heavily in tracking technology to cope with drones with a take-off weight of less than 50 kg. As for the interception of missiles, artillery shells and mortar ammunition, which was originally considered one of the main tasks of laser installations, the customers realized that the development of such laser-based systems remains quite problematic at the moment. As a result, the priorities of most of the military have changed. The new system under test is at the TRL-5 (Technology Demonstrator) readiness level - “technology proven in the right environment”. To get a full-fledged prototype, the system needs to be refined in the direction of adaptability to operation in adverse conditions, while some off-the-shelf commercial components need to be qualified for military tasks.
MBDA Germany is currently developing a program for the next series of tests to be completed at the end of this year or early next year; this work is carried out in close contact with the Bundeswehr, which partially finances this program. It is time for an actual contract to develop a workable, batch-ready system that will not only provide funding but also define clear requirements. MBDA Germany believes that upon receipt of such a contract, the system will be ready in the early 2020s.
Outside Europe
Many laser systems have been developed in the USA. In 2014, the laser system installed on the USS Ponce, stationed in the Persian Gulf, was tested. The 33 kW LaWS (Laser Weapon System) laser system developed by Kratos successfully fired at small boats and drones. Lockheed Martin developed its ADAM (Area defense Anti-Munitions) system during the same period, this prototype laser weapon was designed to fight at close range with homemade missiles, drones and boats. He demonstrated his ability to track targets at distances of more than 5 km and destroy them at distances of up to 2 km. At the end of 2015, Lockheed unveiled its new 30 kW Athena unit based on ADAM technology. Little is known about Russian laser weapons programs. In January 2017, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov announced that the country was engaged in the development of laser and other high-tech weapons and that Russian scientists had made a significant breakthrough in the field of laser technology. And no more details …
