US Navy tested "active" in the Persian Gulf laser weapon"LaWS (Laser Weapons System) and hit an unmanned aerial vehicle with an invisible pulse.
At the same time, the official representative of the Navy, Captain First Rank Christopher Well, noted the versatility of the installation, high accuracy and low cost of the “shot”.
The Americans announced plans to equip warships with the latest laser weapons back in the spring of 2013. And Rear Admiral Matthew Klander then said:
« Newest technologies allow you to create laser beams that can be fixed on a target and not lose it, regardless of the movement of the ship in conditions of strong wind and waves. The laser will cut the target like a blowtorch. In addition, the new weapon will be able to “blind” the cameras of reconnaissance aircraft.”
True, the admiral allowed a decrease in the effectiveness of laser weapons against fast-moving targets - supersonic aircraft and missiles.
Indeed, a combat laser reaches its maximum destruction range only in airless space, and the pathos of American statements on this topic always exceeds the persuasiveness of the tests.
Readers who have completed the course well school physics, were skeptical about the new achievement of the American defense industry.
Experts were unanimous: such tests and systems do not yet threaten warships and aircraft; laser guns are too dependent on the power of the generator and the distance to the target.
The “electricity from a small standard generator” mentioned by Christopher Well raises all the more doubts because the laser installation was placed on a huge transport ship with a length of 173 meters and a displacement of over 16 thousand tons.
Laser cannon installed aboard the USS Ponce
Light illusions and collisions
As a rule, demonstrations of US “super-weapons”, upon closer examination, turn out to be advertising, the main purpose of which is to justify the enormous funds invested in development or to impress third world countries. In today's Persian Gulf, the action is, of course, addressed to Iran. However, what awaits us in the future?
The laser weapon system (LaWS) on the USS Ponce transport dock was first tested in the Persian Gulf in 2014, and progress since then has not been obvious.
No answers today whole line fundamental issues. What is the power of the laser machine? At what distance is the target hit? What material is the drone made of? Did it have a reflective coating and how fast did it fly? Is marketing hoax ruled out?
The advantages of laser weapons are speed and accuracy, the ability to “blind” a target, the absence of unmasking effects in the form of fire and smoke, and the relative cheapness of the shot (the amount of ammunition is determined only by the power of the energy source). The beam has no mass and does not require ballistic corrections. Why have convenient combat lasers not yet replaced traditional weapons systems?
Key disadvantage - high level energy consumption. And if a compact and inexhaustible source of energy ever appears, refraction will not disappear - the laser beam in the atmosphere expands and loses focus (its temperature decreases). Therefore, the combat range is limited to three to five kilometers (wavelength and other tricks do not play a special role).
And even at this distance, bad weather (rain, fog) or reflective coating on the target (the mirror reflects the laser beam regardless of the power level) turns the superweapon into a useless toy.
Laser Weapons System (LaWS) control room aboard USS Ponce
For example, the American air-launched combat laser, the $5.3 billion “anti-missile dream,” looks like impressive nonsense.
The project was closed despite the current YAL-1A prototype being deployed on a Boeing 747-400°F aircraft. The system was designed to destroy ballistic missiles enemy.
The laser seems to have been successfully tested, but maximum range“shooting” turned out to be unacceptable for real combat conditions.
Kilowatt race
Despite the thorny path of the laser beam in earth's atmosphere, it can be assumed that in the coming years tactical laser weapons will be adopted in several countries around the world.
Thus, the Americans intend to install laser cannons on the F-35 fighter, on the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and Zumwalt class destroyers.
Combat laser systems are being persistently developed by British, German, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and, of course, Russian specialists.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov in 2016 announced the adoption of “separate types of laser weapons” that could be placed on aircraft, wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, as well as on naval ships.
Testing of the Russian air-launched laser system (carried by the Il-76 transport aircraft) continues. Perhaps the newest MiG-35 fighter will receive laser weapons.
The Nautilus laser missile defense system was jointly developed by American and Israeli specialists in the late 90s. However, Israel withdrew from this program. The Americans used their experience to create the Skyguard laser missile defense system (tests began in 2008).
Later, in the United States, Boeing and BAE Systems developed a new TLS defensive system, which, according to the developers, should hit cruise missiles, helicopters, airplanes and surface targets at distances of up to five kilometers.
Lockheed Martin introduced a compact laser complex ADAM air defense for destroying UAVs, shells, missiles and mines at distances of up to five kilometers.
ADAM laser air defense system from Lockheed Martin
By the way, not a new Russian supersonic anti-ship missile The P-700 Granit flies through this laser fire zone in about six seconds.
In 2013, the United States tested a 10-kilowatt laser system and apparently shot down several mines and a drone. This year they planned to test an installation with a capacity of 50 kilowatts. Perhaps by 2020 a 100-kilowatt model will appear. However, to destroy ballistic and cruise missiles in the atmosphere, a power hundreds of times greater is required.
At the arms exhibition in Singapore in 2014, Israel presented the Iron Beam laser combat system, designed to destroy shells, missiles and mines at a distance of up to two kilometers. It can be noted that in all examples the range of laser systems does not justify the investment. And in the medium term, the creation of a long-range atmospheric laser looks unlikely.
Humanity has been working with combat lasers since the early 1960s. And the Soviet Union was not inferior to the United States in this race. Tests of Soviet combat lasers were carried out at the Sary-Shagan training ground in Kazakhstan. According to information from open sources, in 1982 the installation hit a radio-controlled target. Self-propelled systems“Compression” and “Sangguin” were developed to disable the optical-electronic systems of enemy armored vehicles and helicopters, respectively. An attempt was made to launch the Skif combat laser station into low-Earth orbit to destroy American missile defense system guidance satellites.
Be that as it may, laser developments have found application in the most different areas science and technology (CD players, precision distance determination devices, holography, surgery, metalworking). And, perhaps, the current “atmospheric” efforts of defense specialists will have an unpredictable beneficial result for civilians.
Alexander Khrolenko, columnist for MIA Rossiya Segodnya
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On July 18, 2017, the world media hit the public with headlines: “The United States tested laser weapons in the Persian Gulf.” The American television channel CNN released video footage of a laser weapon test carried out. Two targets were successfully hit by laser cannon shots, showing the world what US laser weapons are capable of. The gun is designated XN-1 LaWS on landing ship US Navy USS Ponce is currently the only laser cannon in service with the US Navy, but the Pentagon is already aiming to develop and build new weapons and arm warships and aircraft with them. What laser weapons are in service with the US Army? What are its technical data? What are the plans of the American military-industrial complex on this important issue? You will learn about this from this article.
Wonder weapon
The great minds of mankind predicted the appearance of ray weapons at the beginning of the 20th century. The idea of a weapon capable of penetrating any armor and guaranteed to hit a target is reflected in the works of science fiction writers. These are the Martian tripods of Oscar Wilde in “War of the Worlds”, and the “high-power heat ray” of A. N. Tolstoy in “The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin”, and their numerous followers in literature and cinema. The most famous work, where the idea of laser weapons was realized, can rightfully be called George Lucas' "Star Wars".
In the 1950s of the last century, laser weapons came to the attention of the military. At the same time, development of working versions of lasers was carried out in the USA and USSR. The United States focused primarily on missile defense in the development of laser weapons.
Ronald Reagan's Star Wars
The first US step in the field of laser weapons was the Strategic Defense Initiative, better known as the Star Wars project. It was planned to launch satellites equipped with lasers into orbit, designed to destroy Soviet ballistic missiles in highest point their trajectories. A large-scale program was launched to develop and produce early warning systems for taking off missiles, and according to some unconfirmed reports, the first satellites with laser weapons on board were launched into space in an atmosphere of extreme secrecy.
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) project, in fact, became the forerunner of the American missile defense system, around which controversy and verbal battles are currently raging. But SDI was not destined to fully become a reality. The project lost its relevance and was closed in 1991 with collapse Soviet Union. Moreover, existing developments were used in other similar projects, including the above-mentioned missile defense system, and some individual developments were adapted for civilian needs, such as, for example, satellite system GPS.
Boeing YAL-1. about the laser bomber
The first attempt to revive the concept of using beam weapons in combat conditions was the project of an aircraft that would be capable of shooting down nuclear missiles still on takeoff. In 2002, an experimental Boeing YAL-1 aircraft with a chemical laser was built, which successfully passed several tests, but the program was closed in 2011 due to budget cuts. The problem with the project, which negated all its advantages, was that the YAL-1 could only fire at a distance of 200 kilometers, which in conditions of full-scale hostilities would lead to the fact that the aircraft would simply be shot down by enemy air defense forces.
The rebirth of US laser weapons
The new American defensive doctrine, which envisaged the creation of a national missile defense system, again aroused the military's interest in beam weapons.
In 2004, the US Army tested laser weapons in combat conditions. The ZEUS combat laser mounted on an HMMWV in Afghanistan successfully destroyed unexploded ordnance and mines. Also, according to unconfirmed reports, the United States tested laser weapons in the Persian Gulf in 2003, during Operation Shock and Awe (the military invasion of Iraq).
In 2008, the American company Northrop Grumman Corporation, together with the Israeli Defense Ministry, developed the Skyguard missile defense system laser. Northrop Grumman is also developing beam weapons for the US Navy. Active testing was carried out in 2011, but nothing is known about operating products yet. It is expected that the new laser will be 5 times more powerful than what the United States tested in the Persian Gulf in July 2017.
Later, Boeing began developing a program to develop the HEL MD laser, which successfully passed combat tests in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Boeing introduced a laser with a power of up to 2 kW, which successfully shot down a drone during exercises.
Beam weapons are also being developed by Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. According to the statement, tests of laser weapons will take place annually.
XN-1 LaWS System
The XN-1 LaWS laser weapon was developed by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in 2014 and was immediately installed on board the obsolete US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Ponce, selected to test the new weapon system. The power of the gun is 30 kW, the approximate cost is 30 million US dollars, the speed of the “projectile” is more than 1 billion km/h with the cost of one shot being 1 dollar. The installation is controlled by 3 people.
Advantages
The advantages of US laser weapons directly stem from the specifics of their use. They are listed below:
- It does not require ammunition as it runs on electricity.
- Laser is much more accurate firearms, since the projectile is practically not affected by external factors.
- Precision also results in another important advantage: collateral damage is completely eliminated. The beam hits the target without causing damage to surrounding objects, which makes it possible to use it in densely populated areas where the use of conventional artillery and bombing is fraught with large casualties among civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
- The laser is silent and its shot cannot be tracked, which allows it to be used in special operations where stealth and silence are the main factors for success.
Flaws
The obvious advantages of laser weapons also result in their disadvantages, namely:
- Excessive power consumption. Large systems will require large generators, which will significantly limit mobility artillery systems on which they will be installed.
- High accuracy only when firing directly, which sharply reduces the effectiveness of use on land.
- The laser beam can be reflected using inexpensive materials, the production of which is established in many countries. Thus, a representative of the Chinese Minister of War stated in 2014 that they are completely protected from American lasers thanks to a special protective layer.
Prospects for US laser weapons
So what's next? Will we see scenes familiar to every science fiction lover, where giant lasers are commonplace? Based latest trends, the power of new US laser weapons will increase, and with it the destructive potential will increase.
Developers of beam weapons are already faced with the age-old “shield-sword” problem - they will need to overcome the resistance of new protective coatings, which will be improved as the power of laser weapons increases. With each new weapon system, the range of US laser weapons increases, which opens up a new way of using them - combating space debris. There is also a tendency to reduce the size of devices without losing power, which in the future will lead to the fact that we will get small enough weapons that can be installed on fighter aircraft and even one day become the personal weapon of soldiers.
That is why every new test of US laser weapons arouses such keen interest among all world military experts. But don’t think that old weapons systems will remain a thing of the past. Do not forget that laser weapons are effective only in conditions of direct visibility of the target, therefore conventional artillery and precision missiles will still be the main ones in theaters of war.
No longer a toy, not yet a weapon
The term “laser,” which is familiar to us, is an abbreviation for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, which translated means “amplification of light through stimulated emission.”
Lasers were first discussed seriously in the second half of the 20th century. The first working laser device American physicist Introduced by Theodore Maiman in 1960, lasers are used in a wide variety of applications today. Quite a long time ago they found application in military equipment, although until recently we were talking mainly about non-lethal weapons capable of temporarily blinding the enemy or disabling his optics. Full-fledged combat laser systems capable of destroying equipment are still at the development stage, and it is difficult to say exactly when they will become operational.
The main problems are associated with the high cost and high energy consumption of laser systems, as well as their ability to cause real damage to highly protected equipment. However, every year the leading countries of the world are increasingly developing combat lasers, gradually increasing the power of their prototypes. The development of laser weapons would most correctly be called an investment in the future, when new technologies will make it possible to seriously talk about the feasibility of such systems.
winged laser
One of the most sensational projects of laser combat systems was the experimental Boeing YAL-1. As a platform for placement combat laser performed by a modified Boeing 747-400F airliner.
The Americans have always been looking for ways to protect their territory from enemy missiles, and the YAL-1 project was created precisely for this purpose. It is based on a 1 MW chemical oxygen laser. The main advantage of the YAL-1 over other missile defense systems is that the laser system is theoretically capable of destroying missiles at the initial stage of flight. The American military has repeatedly announced successful tests of a laser system. However, the real effectiveness of such a complex seems rather doubtful, and the program, which cost $5 billion, was discontinued in 2011. However, the developments obtained in it have found application in other projects of combat lasers.
Boeing YAL-1 is an analogue of the Soviet A-60 aircraft laser system. The Il-76MD served as the base for the A-60 laser complex, and its first flight took place in 1981. It was expected that the main task of the complex would be the fight against enemy reconnaissance aircraft. After the collapse of the USSR, work on the A-60 was frozen, but has now been resumed.
Shield of Moses and Blade of Uncle Sam
Israel and the United States are world leaders in the development of combat laser systems. In the case of Israel, the creation of such systems is due to the need to counter frequent rocket attacks on the country’s territory. In fact, while a laser will not be able to confidently hit targets like a ballistic missile for a long time, it is quite capable of fighting short-range missiles now.
Palestinian Qassam rockets are a constant source of headaches for the Israelis, and the US-Israeli Nautilus laser missile defense system was supposed to be an additional security guarantee. The main role in the development of the laser itself was played by specialists from the American company Northrop Grumman. And although the Israelis invested more than $400 million in Nautilus, they withdrew from the project in 2001. Officially, the results of the missile defense tests were positive, but the Israeli military leadership was skeptical about them, and as a result, the Americans remained the only participants in the project. Development of the complex continued, but it never reached mass production. But the experience gained during the Nautilus testing process was used to develop the Skyguard laser complex.
The Skyguard and Nautilus missile defense systems are built around a high-energy tactical laser - THEL (Tactical High Energy Laser). According to the developers, THEL is capable of effectively hitting missiles, cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and drones. At the same time, THEL can become not only an effective, but also a very economical missile defense system: one shot will cost only about 3 thousand dollars, much cheaper than launching a modern anti-missile missile. On the other hand, it will be possible to talk about the real efficiency of such systems only after they are put into service.
THEL is a chemical laser with a power of about 1 MW. After the target is detected by the radar, the computer orients the laser system and fires a shot. In a split second, the laser beam causes enemy missiles and shells to detonate. Critics of the project predict that such a result can only be achieved in ideal weather conditions. Perhaps this is why the Israelis, who had previously abandoned the Nautilus project, were not interested in the Skyguard complex. But the US military calls the laser system a revolution in the field of weapons. According to the developers, mass production of the complex may begin very soon.
Laser in the sea
The US Navy is showing great interest in laser missile defense systems. According to the plan, laser systems will be able to complement the usual means of protecting warships, taking on the role of modern high-speed anti-aircraft guns, such as the Mark 15.
The development of such systems is fraught with a number of difficulties. Small drops of water in humid sea air noticeably weaken the energy of the laser beam, but the developers promise to solve this problem by increasing the laser power.
One of the latest developments in this area is MLD (Maritime Laser Demonstrator). The MLD laser system is just a demonstrator, but in the future its concept may form the basis of full-fledged combat systems. The complex was developed by Northrop Grumman. Initially, the installation’s power was small and amounted to 15 kW, however, during testing it also managed to destroy a surface target - rubber boat. Of course, in the future, Northrop Grumman specialists intend to increase the laser power.
At the Farnborough 2010 air show, the American company Raytheon presented to the public its own concept of a combat laser, LaWS (Laser Weapon System). This laser installation is combined into a single complex with the ship's anti-aircraft gun Mark 15 and in tests managed to hit a drone at a distance of about 3 km. The power of the LaWS laser machine is 50 kW, which is enough to burn through a 40 mm steel plate.
In 2011, Boeing and BAE Systems began developing the TLS (Tactical Laser System) complex, which also combines a laser system with a rapid-fire 25-mm artillery gun. It is believed that this system will be able to effectively hit cruise missiles, airplanes, helicopters and small surface targets at a range of up to 3 km. The rate of fire of the Tactical Laser System should be about 180 pulses per minute.
Mobile laser complex
Another Boeing development - HEL-MD (High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator) - should be installed on a mobile platform - an eight-wheeled truck. During tests that took place in 2013, the HEL-MD complex successfully hit training targets. Potential targets for such a laser system could be not only drones, but also artillery shells. Soon the power of HEL-MD will be increased to 50 kW, and in the foreseeable future it will be 100 kW.
Another example of a mobile laser was recently presented by the German company Rheinmetall. The HEL (High-Energy Laser) laser complex was installed on a Boxer armored personnel carrier. The complex is capable of detecting, tracking and destroying targets – both in the air and on the ground. Enough power to destroy drones and short-range missiles.
Prospects
Well-known expert in the field of advanced weapons Andrei Shalygin says:
– Laser weapons are literally line-of-sight weapons. The target must be detected in a straight line, the laser aimed at it and steadily tracked in order to transfer enough energy to cause damage. Accordingly, over-the-horizon destruction is impossible, and sustained, guaranteed defeat at long distances is also impossible. For longer distances the installation should be raised as high as possible. Hitting maneuvering targets is difficult, hitting shielded targets is difficult... In numbers, all this looks too banal to even talk about it seriously, compared to even primitive operating air defense systems.
In addition, there are two factors that further complicate the situation. The power supply of such a weapon in today's conditions should be enormous. This makes the entire system either extremely cumbersome, or extremely expensive, or has a lot of other disadvantages, such as a short total time in combat readiness, a long time to bring into combat readiness, the enormous cost of a shot, and so on.? The second significant factor limiting the effect of laser weapons is the optical inhomogeneity of the medium. In a primitive understanding, any ordinary bad weather with precipitation makes the use of such weapons below the cloud level completely useless, and protection from it is lower layers The atmosphere seems very simple.
Therefore, there is no need to say yet that samples of any know-how in laser weapons in the foreseeable future will be able to become something more than not the best melee weapons for naval groups in good weather and for air duels taking place above the cloud level. As a rule, exotic weapons systems are one of the most effective ways for lobbyists to make money in a “relatively honest” way. Therefore, in order to solve tactical problems with combat units within the framework of the art of war, you can easily find a dozen or two much more effective, cheaper and simple solutions assigned tasks.
The airborne systems being developed by the Americans can find very limited use for local protection against air attacks above the cloud level. However, the cost of such solutions significantly exceeds existing systems without any prospect of reducing it, and the combat capabilities are significantly lower.
With the discovery of materials for the construction of superconducting systems operating at temperatures close to the environment, as well as in the case of the creation of compact mobile high-energy power sources, laser systems will be produced in Russia. They can be useful for short-range air defense purposes in the navy and can be used on surface ships, for starters, as part of systems based on platforms such as ZK Palma or AK-130-176.
In the ground forces, such systems in fully combat-ready form have been known to the whole world since the time when Chubais tried to openly sell them abroad. They were even exhibited for this purpose at MAKS-2003. For example, MLTK-50 is a conversion development in the interests of Gazprom, which was carried out by the Trinity Institute of Innovation and Thermonuclear Research (TRINITI) and NIIEFA named after Efremov. Its appearance on the market, in fact, led to the fact that the whole world suddenly moved forward in the design of similar systems. At the same time, at present, the energy systems allow us to have not a dual, but an ordinary single automobile module.
It seems that laser systems are not a weapon of tomorrow or even the day after tomorrow. Many critics believe that the development of laser systems is a complete waste of money and time, and large defense corporations are simply mastering new means with the help of such projects. However, this point of view is only partly true. Perhaps the combat laser will not soon become a full-fledged weapon, but it would be premature to give up on it completely.
In April of this year, a combat laser (High Energy Laser Mobile Test Truck, HELMTT) with a power of 10 kilowatts was tested in the United States at the Fort Sill base. 8 jeeps took part in the exercises, including a command center created on one of them, that is, the control system and use of laser weapons in field conditions. They also tested a 2-kilowatt laser mounted on a Stryker armored vehicle. Reports of these new exercises were leaked to the wider press only in May. During the exercise, drones, artillery shells and mortar shells were destroyed.
What happened?
This is, of course, not the first test. Tested in 2013 ground laser to destroy air targets. A combat laser (High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, HEL MD) with a power of 10 kilowatts destroyed hundreds of mortar shells and several drones.
In 2014, HEL MD was tested from an Oshkosh vehicle in bad weather conditions and the laser was able to hit about 150 targets. The military claims that drones have been hit with lasers even in the rain, although the specific details of these tests are unknown. In the same year, a laser weapon with a power of 33 kilowatts was tested aboard the USS Ponce.
In 2015, Boeing's 2-kilowatt installation shot down a free-flying UAV in 10-15 seconds, and a stationary UAV in 2 seconds. According to some reports, at a distance of one and a half kilometers, a UAV flying at speeds of up to 130 km/h is shot down by a laser.
What's next?
In 2017, the US Army plans to test the HEL MD ground-based laser system with a power of 50 kilowatts.
By 2020, the power of this ground-based installation is planned to be increased to 100 kilowatts.
By 2020, laser systems will also be on US Air Force aircraft.
By 2021, the United States wants to reach practical application air-launched laser weapons to intercept ballistic missiles. A missile defense system with a capacity of 1 megawatt is in development. Boeing, by the way, promised that soon its lasers will hit targets in the air at a distance of 35 kilometers.
And in 2023-2025 in the United States, the first defensive and offensive combat laser systems should become operational on land, sea and in the air.
The Americans have a lot of plans. The Air Force wants to have a 150-kilowatt laser on AC-130s by 2020 to burn holes the size of beer cans for targets, and then begin installing lasers on B-1 and B-2 aircraft as well. Lockheed Martin announced in 2015 that laser cannons could be installed on the F-35.
There is an idea to install short-range lasers on cover helicopters, which ensure the safety of landing soldiers.
The Navy is considering installing large laser cannons on the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and Zumwalt ships.
By 2017, the Marines want to have mobile laser systems with a power of 30 kilowatts on their jeeps or trucks to shoot down enemy drones on the battlefield, and the developers promise them 60 kilowatts.
What about project financing?
The peak of investment in the development of laser weapons in the United States occurred in 1989, when about $2.4 billion was poured into the program. Since then, annual costs for the topic have been significantly lower. In 2007, $961 million was spent on military lasers, but in 2014 it was only $344 million.
The cost of the laser installation aboard the USS Ponce was $40 million, and that does not include six years of development costs. But it is noted that the price of laser weapons will soon drop significantly as they become more widespread and mass produced. And even at current prices for laser systems, it is still many times cheaper than spending expensive missiles to destroy targets.
Today, the Pentagon is requesting $90.3 million for fiscal year 2017 just to build air-launched laser weapons to intercept ballistic missiles. Overall, the US military estimates that the country needs to spend $1.3 billion a year to develop combat lasers.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of laser weapons: speed of use, almost unlimited number of “shots”, constant targeting, the price of one “shot” is less than $10, noiselessness, invisibility, no need to calculate the wind correction as for other ammunition, compensate for recoil, etc. .
Nevertheless, the disadvantages of such weapons are also obvious: energy consumption, loss of energy with increasing distance to the target, loss of energy in bad weather conditions, the need for a cooling system for the laser system, ease of protection from lasers using reflective surfaces.
The latter, by the way, was not confirmed in real tests. Even the smallest dust on the reflective surface of such coatings was burned by the laser and, on the contrary, led to even more rapid destruction of the protection and destruction of the entire target.
The most realistic application for military lasers today is defensive operations at short ranges. In 2014, national security experts were surveyed in the United States. About 50% of experts did not expect the introduction of laser weapons into the US military in the next two decades.
Lyrics
Interestingly, there is an international Additional Protocol dated October 13, 1995 - “Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons to the 1980 UN Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Cause Excessive Injury or to Have an Indiscriminate Effect.”
The protocol, which has already been signed by 107 countries, prohibits the use of laser weapons specifically designed for use in combat, solely or in part, to cause permanent blindness to the visual organs of a person not using optical instruments.
That is, during a war, lasers formally cannot even blind the enemy’s manpower, not to mention his physical destruction. Discussions are already unfolding about the degree of humaneness of laser weapons, similar to debates about the morality of using attack drones.
The developers of HEL MD say that since the laser “shot” occurs silently, sound will have to be built into the system so that the operators themselves and those nearby can understand that the weapon is activated. For these purposes, sound effects from the films “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” will be selected.
Ilya Plekhanov
March 1, delivering the Message Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about six new developments in the domestic defense industry. The head of state disclosed information on systems for strategic nuclear forces and other army structures. One of the presented samples, unlike the others, does not belong to the category of strategic nuclear weapons, but despite this, it is of great interest. Russian industry created a new combat laser complex.
Talking about the latest achievements of the domestic defense industry, V. Putin recalled advanced foreign projects. It is well known that a number of foreign countries are now working on promising weapons using the so-called. new physical principles. According to the president, there is every reason to believe that in this area too, Russia is one step ahead of its competitors. At least in the right areas.
The President pointed to the achievement of significant results in the field of laser weapons. At the same time, we are no longer talking about the theoretical elaboration of ideas, the creation of projects, or the start of mass production. The newest Russian laser system is already being supplied to the troops. The first systems of this kind were handed over to units last year.
V. Putin did not want to disclose the details of the new project and clarify the main characteristics or capabilities promising weapons. However, he noted that experts will understand the consequences of the emergence of such systems. The presence of laser combat systems will greatly expand the country’s capabilities in ensuring its security.
Like several others the latest designs weapons presented on the first day of spring, the combat laser complex does not yet have its own name. In this regard, the head of state invited everyone to come up with their own name options for this system. The Ministry of Defense has launched a special Internet service with which you can offer your own version of the name for a combat laser and other new systems.
Vehicles of the complex on the march
The next day, V. Putin spoke at the V media forum of the All-Russian popular front in Kaliningrad, and within the framework of this event again raised the topic of promising weapons. He called the combat laser a fantasy, which, however, was implemented in reality. The President compared this product with the hyperboloid of engineer Garin from the work of the same name by A.N. Tolstoy.
V. Putin’s short story about the combat laser complex was illustrated with a video. For certain reasons, the demo video turned out to be quite short and lasted only 21 seconds. Unlike other videos, this time they showed only the complex on the march, during deployment and in a combat position. Footage of the use of this weapon, with real filming or computer graphics, was not provided. However, even in this form the video is quite interesting and provides certain information.
The demonstration of the combat laser system began with shots of the system on the march. The lens captured two tractor-trailers with semi-trailers of a special configuration. Further, during the deployment of the system, a larger number of equipment was present on the site. Next to the combat vehicle carrying the laser, there were some other samples of special equipment with one or another auxiliary equipment.
The complex is in the process of deployment
Of particular interest are the footage from the complex control room. The audience was shown several monitors, including those labeled “ARM-1” and “ARM-2” (probably an “automated workstation” with numbers), as well as a certain rack with equipment. The control equipment of the complex included a computer-type keyboard, a control knob, and a block of unknown purpose. At workplaces there are telephone handsets from communication systems.
The video ends with a demonstration of the laser installation itself. The characteristic design of the device showed the operation of horizontal and vertical guidance systems. The equipment operated with plugs installed or removed, as well as with different provisions movable protective cover. “Firing” at targets, however, was not shown.
An official video from the Ministry of Defense shows that the combat laser complex includes several machines. Most likely, except for the carrier combat module The complex includes control and communication machines, a mobile power station and other elements. The joint work of all these models should ensure the solution of assigned combat missions. For obvious reasons, the semi-trailer with a laser system is of greatest interest now.
The combat laser and its equipment are large in size and weight, which is why they were installed on a semi-trailer with a five-axle chassis. There are four electric jacks located in the center and at the rear of the semi-trailer. With their help, obviously, the semi-trailer must be hung and leveled before combat work.
General view of the semi-trailer in stowed position
The front of the laser semi-trailer, located above the fifth wheel of the tractor, is equipped with a medium-sized casing that houses some auxiliary systems. Grilles on the sides of the casing and ventilation caps on the roof may hint at the composition of the internal equipment. The main platform carries two container bodies large sizes. At the front is a smaller one that houses the equipment. The laser installation is located in the rear, characterized by an increased length and more complex external contours.
The front half of the rear container has the largest possible cross-section. Behind it, the sides and roof form a smaller casing. The fact is that a laser installation is placed in the stern of the container, and above it there is a sliding roof. The U-shaped unit with folding rear flaps, when preparing for work, moves forward and moves onto a section of the body with smaller dimensions. This ensures free operation of the laser system without restrictions on pointing angles.
In the rear of the semi-trailer, under the protection of the sides and retractable roof, there is the laser installation itself. It is based on a U-shaped support device without the possibility of rotation around a vertical axis. On this support, a large block of close to rectangular shape swings in a vertical plane. On one of its walls there is a mount for a unit with target equipment with a rotation function. Two articulated joints provide the ability to point the laser in any direction.
The upper unit of the installation received a body of a rather complex shape with a cut-off front part and a cylindrical rear section. On the left side of the hull there are two tubular casings of different sizes for equipment. The front inclined section of the body is covered with a movable cover. In the stowed position it lies on the sides, in the combat position it rises and allows the use of internal equipment. The side cylindrical casings are equipped with removable covers.
There is no information about the structure and internal components of the laser installation. It can be assumed that the laser emitter itself is located in a larger housing, and it is its operation that is ensured by the lifting lid. In this case, the side tubes must accommodate optical-electronic means of observation, detection and tracking. Laser type and specifications remain unknown. IN best case scenario, they will be published only in the future.
In his Address to the Federal Assembly, the president announced only the very fact of the existence of an unnamed laser complex, and did not disclose details. In particular, the purpose of this product remains unknown. One can only guess where, how and for what purpose it is planned to use mobile systems with laser weapons. Certain estimates and forecasts are already known, but they, as expected, may not be confirmed in the future.
A laser of rather modest dimensions and, accordingly, not the highest power, having developed means of guidance in two planes, may be similar to promising system air defense. Indeed, a combat laser of sufficient power can be a convenient means of countering manned and unmanned enemy aircraft. In this case, we are most likely not talking about the physical destruction of the target, but about its incapacitation.
Modern combat aircraft and UAVs are equipped with a variety of optical-electronic systems designed for reconnaissance, target detection and the use of weapons. A laser beam of sufficient power can damage the photosensitive elements of the optics and disable them, at least for some time. As a result, the aircraft or drone will lose some of its functions and will not be able to continue performing the mission.
Product in combat position
However, nothing prevents us from making a bolder assumption and considering a combat laser complex as a means of destroying equipment or weapons. In theory, a high-power laser beam is capable of transferring thermal energy to an object and causing its destruction. Having melted the target's body, the laser can explode combat unit missiles, cause a fuel fire, or for all intents and purposes burn out the aircraft's electronics. Such use of laser weapons has been studied for several decades, and it cannot yet be ruled out that the newest project does not develop such ideas.
Regardless of the specific method of application, goals and objectives, a laser complex for combat purposes may have some special advantages that distinguish it from other systems of similar purposes. Thus, acting as a means of optical-electronic suppression, the laser turns out to be a non-alternative system. All existing systems for combating tactical or unmanned aircraft use different principles. Withdrawal aircraft out of order, they “prefer” complete destruction. Obviously, damage to electronics takes an aircraft out of combat much easier and faster than a full-fledged attack using guided missiles or artillery.
If the new complex is equipped with sufficient powerful laser, capable of melting through structural elements of aircraft, it can become an interesting competitor for existing short-range anti-aircraft systems. It should be recalled that the transfer of thermal energy using a beam is associated with some problems. First of all, prolonged exposure to the target may be necessary to obtain the desired result. In addition, successful heating of the object can be prevented various factors, even to weather events.
Automated calculation workstations
Having certain limitations, an anti-aircraft laser system can be cheaper to operate than its missile competitor. Each guided missile that hits a selected target has a fairly high cost. The cost of a “shot” of a laser system is hundreds and thousands of times less, which, however, is accompanied by a higher cost of the complex itself. Thus, for the most effective use of combat laser systems as part of air defense and obtaining best results economic nature requires the development of new methods and solutions.
One of the main problems facing the creators of combat lasers is power supply. A high power laser requires adequate power. The published video shows that next to the semi-trailer of the unnamed laser installation, a second vehicle from the complex is located in position. The products are connected to each other using a large number of cables. This clearly indicates that the electric generator could not be placed on the same chassis with the laser, and therefore it is made as a separate element of the complex.
The separate placement of the generator set has already become a reason for the most daring assumptions. In discussions of the complex, a version was proposed about the use of a compact nuclear power plant that produces sufficient power. Indirect confirmation of this version are achievements in other areas, also announced by V. Putin. A new compact nuclear system of sufficient power, suitable for installation on small-sized underwater vehicles, has already been tested and verified. However, all this, rather, is the fruit of a bold imagination, and not the result of real work.
The President of Russia clarified that a promising combat laser complex is already being produced and entering service with the troops. The first systems of this type were delivered to the armed forces last year. It is obvious that the assembly of the complexes will continue, and in the foreseeable future parts of the air defense (if this is true) anti-aircraft system) will master a significant amount of such technology. The supplies will have a noticeable impact on the defense potential of the troops, and at the same time on the defense capability of the country as a whole.
Unfortunately for specialists and amateurs military equipment, in his speech, Vladimir Putin did not reveal the most interesting features of the promising laser complex. However, the public was not left completely out of work. As it turned out, the combat laser and a number of other promising types of weapons still do not have a name. The country's military and political leadership did not resolve this issue on their own and turned to the people for help. Anyone can come up with their own designations for new weapons, including the combat laser system.
In his speech addressed to the Federal Assembly, but of great interest to the entire country and abroad, Russian President V. Putin described several of the latest weapons and equipment. These developments implement fundamentally new devices and approaches that literally change the rules of the game. One of the ways to radically change the situation was the combat laser complex. This system, without even receiving its own name, is already being supplied to the troops and making a certain contribution to the security of the country.
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