Death rays: will the laser become a real weapon? Combat lasers

The use of lasers in the military sphere has been talked about for decades, but now we are talking about the introduction of the first real weapon of this type. So why did it take so long to develop effective laser weapons? The first reason concerns the power source for such weapons, the selection of which represents a serious engineering problem.

Navy on Monday reported that new defense plans are being developed for ships currently deployed in the Persian Gulf. On one of them in particular it will be installed laser weapon. The use of lasers in the military sphere has been talked about for decades, but now we are talking about the introduction of the first real weapon of this type. So why did it take so long to develop effective laser weapons?

The first reason concerns the power source for such weapons, the selection of which represents a serious engineering problem. The theory behind laser weapons is extremely simple: the task is to destroy a target using a concentrated beam of electromagnetic energy.

Conventional weapons work in much the same way: a gun bullet is just a more tangible way of delivering a lethal amount of energy.

This concept is so simple that people have played with the idea in different ways for thousands of years. Legend has it that during the siege of Syracuse, Archimedes was able to set fire to the sails of enemy ships using the sun's rays.

The alien beams from H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds are fantastic weapons that also rely on the principle of energy beams. Just like the Death Star from Star Wars that destroyed the planet Alderaan. Defense systems experts have been talking about laser weapons since the late 1970s. However, creating effective laser weapons poses a number of serious technical challenges.

The first and most important question is the source of energy. Even in best models the laser uses only 20% of the electricity used to power the weapon. Aiming and focusing the laser beam requires even more energy. Because of this waste, hundreds of kilowatts of electricity are required to operate a 20-kilowatt laser that can destroy or seriously damage a small vessel. (For comparison: a typical window air conditioner consumes 1 kilowatt). That's why this new weapon is installed on warship, where there is more than enough electricity.

Even if we ever discover a miniature power source that can efficiently power a laser, we will not be able to create a portable laser weapon. The thing is that a typical laser machine actually emits three beams.

The first beam is used to measure atmospheric distortion. Next, a special computer calculates how the beam needs to be changed to adapt it to current conditions. The second beam is needed to track the target. Despite what is often written in science fiction, the laser must be focused on the target for several seconds to cause serious damage. Thus, the second beam allows you to keep a moving target in focus. The third beam is an actual energy wave and is approximately a meter in diameter. The laser usually heats up quickly, and therefore the unit is equipped with a cooling system.

The second major obstacle concerns the difficulty of deploying laser weapons on the battlefield. Such weapons should not only be possible from a technical point of view, but have better qualities and a lower price than those that already exist. Therefore, the army preferred to use the first samples of laser weapons in clearly defined niches, rather than create a separate branch of the military for it.

Currently, the most effective type is the Tactical High Energy Laser, which is powerful enough to destroy small objects such as incoming mortar shells. The Navy has another problem with small targets. The fact is that hitting small and maneuverable ships with conventional weapons is not an easy task. A tactical laser, in turn, only needs to focus on an approaching ship for a few seconds to explode its fuel tanks or damage its engine. This will avoid a repeat of the suicide attack on the USS Cole in 2000.

But what does the target feel like when the laser weapon is pointed at it? It's heating up. The laser carries energy. The powerful laser heats the surface of your skin and the cells underneath extremely quickly. This is, of course, an extremely painful experience, and anyone who remains exposed to the 20 kilowatt laser beam for too long will inevitably die.

However, the military is unlikely to start using lasers against people in the foreseeable future. The fact is that they are not just bulky: they take a lot of time to kill. If you feel a laser on you, all you need to do to protect yourself is hide behind any opaque object. However, the Army is considering weapons using microwave technology to disperse crowds: when exposed to such heat, people tend to flee. In any case, bullets will remain for a long time a much more effective way to injure or kill a person than any laser.

On March 1, speaking with an Address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about six the latest developments 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 has 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 development 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 of the promising weapon. 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 during this event he 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, there was a presence on site larger number technology. 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 with the signatures “ARM-1” and “ARM-2” (probably “automated workplace"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 positions of the 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 vehicles. 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 swings in a vertical plane close to rectangular shape. 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 housing sufficiently complex shape with a cut front part and a cylindrical rear section. There are two tubular casings on the left side of the hull 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. The type of laser and its technical characteristics 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 mobile systems with laser weapons are planned to be used. 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 guidance means in two planes, may be similar to a 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 rockets, 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, which distinguishes it favorably from other systems of similar purpose. 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. They “prefer” complete destruction to disabling the aircraft. 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 new complex equipped with a sufficiently powerful laser capable of melting 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, various factors, including weather events, can interfere with the successful heating of an object.

Automated calculation workstations

Having certain limitations, an anti-aircraft laser system can be cheaper to operate than its missile competitor. Each guided missile, hitting the 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 the best economic results, the development of new techniques and solutions is required.

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. Products are connected to each other using large number 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 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, air defense units (if this is truly an anti-aircraft system) will master a significant amount of such equipment. 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.

Much to the regret of specialists and fans of 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 a 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.

Other names: laser gun, laser blaster.

Every modern person is well aware of the concept of “laser”. And it just so happens that the first thing it is associated with is a device capable of using a very hot beam to burn or melt everything, in other words, a weapon. Surely the famous novel by Alexei Tolstoy “The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin” played a significant role in the creation of this stereotype. It was from him that the general public learned about the heat ray. True, heat ray (the name is taken from the novel) is not an entirely accurate formulation. A laser is a device that creates a high-energy, narrowly directed stream of electromagnetic radiation.

However, let's not delve into the technical jungle. For fans of this business, there are many other sites on which holders of high scientific degrees describe the operation of lasers with formulas and diagrams. As for my goal, it is completely different - namely, to identify the pros and cons of this type weapons, as well as the advisability of their use in a given situation.

So let's start, and we'll do it by understanding the types of laser weapons. Two classification options come to mind:

1. Non-lethal and lethal laser weapons.

2. Pulsed lasers (PL) and long-term exposure installations (ULD).

Both of these sections do not exclude one another, but only complement. For example, there may be lethal lasers with both pulsed and long-term effects. The same can be said for non-lethal samples.

To avoid confusion, let's start in order.

Non-lethal laser weapons. A striking example of a non-lethal laser weapon is the so-called dazzler. At its core, it is a powerful laser flashlight designed to destroy the enemy’s organs of vision, as well as infrared and optical systems. Dazzlers began to be developed back in the late 70s of the last century. They were first used by the British in 1982 during the war with Argentina over the Falklands (Malvinas) Islands. In 1995, dazzlers that damage the organs of vision were recognized as inhumane weapons and prohibited by the relevant UN convention. However, the UN ban does not apply to devices that disable infrared cameras, warheads, optics, etc. Therefore, it is precisely such systems that weapons manufacturers often disguise full-fledged combat dazzlers.

Most famous model The mobile blinding device is the PHASR laser dazzler rifle, developed for the US Department of Defense. In addition to the blinding effect, this weapon can cause serious burns (albeit not lethal), and from a considerable distance.

Another example of a dazzler is the Chinese ZM-87 unit. In 2000, under pressure from international public opinion (mostly American, of course), its production was curtailed, but some facts indicate that the produced samples remained in service with the Chinese army. The device could emit five pulses per second and cause temporary blindness at a distance of up to 10 km. Irreversible changes in the enemy’s vision, with the appropriate operating mode, occurred at a distance of 3-5 km. It should also be noted that the ZM-87 successfully fought against optical and thermal devices of military equipment. Currently, Chinese scientists have not closed this topic and, teetering on the brink of violating the UN Convention, continue to work hard on its development and improvement.

If we talk about domestic developments of portable dazzlers, then first of all we should recall the unique Soviet laser pistol (LP), created in 1984 at the Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces). It was intended for the crews of space orbital stations, who had to protect themselves from the so-called inspector satellites. These annoying ones American machine guns flew up to Salyut and then Mir and photographed all their secret components and systems. In response, our guys had to fire at the uninvited guests from the LP and burn all their optical-electronic and infrared equipment. Let these bastards get out, in the literal sense of the word.

This is, so to speak, the official data on the PL, but personally it seems to me that here we are dealing with the same attempt to escape from the UN ban. The laser pistol had an effective firing range of only 20 meters. Not enough to hunt for satellites circling overboard! But it is quite enough for combat in the tiny compartments of the station. There is no recoil (which is very important in zero gravity), the casing cannot be damaged, so feel free to point at the enemy and hit.

This option is also hinted at by the presence of a clip for eight rounds (here we mean special squibs for pumping the laser). To shoot at satellites, it would be better to use a more powerful gun, and it does not necessarily have to be the size of a regular pistol. But no, our designers created precisely a convenient compact weapon with automatic squib feeding. This can only mean two things: first, the drug was intended for use in confined spaces space station(or ship); the second is the desire to increase the rate of fire of the weapon, which is necessary when countering a living, mobile enemy.

Using the example of dazzlers, I tried to consider the properties of non-lethal laser weapons, namely: the destruction of electronics and partial incapacitation of personnel. There are situations in war when this is exactly what is necessary. Although in most cases you need to make more holes in the enemy. This is exactly what lethal laser weapons are designed for.

Lethal laser weapons are beam weapons, the impact of which causes mechanical destruction of living and non-living objects. In other words, exactly the effect that we all love so much is achieved.” Star wars": flash, smoke, holey plating, the smell of burnt meat and a pile of cooling corpses.

At the moment, there is no mass production of lethal combat lasers. Such systems are only at the development stage. At the same time, the designers were faced with a number of serious problems, including: the bulkiness and prohibitively large weight of the installations, enormous energy consumption, the fragility and fragility of the optical beam focusing system, catastrophic energy losses from the laser beam at the slightest contamination of the optics, smoke or dust in the atmosphere. Considering all this, it is not yet possible to talk about creating light laser weapons for infantry. Engineers can only develop large laser installations for automobile, ship and aircraft deployment.

Everything that was mentioned above is, so to speak, the reality of today. Well, now I would like to imagine that most of the technical problems have already been successfully solved and talk about some of the properties of future laser weapons.

Not many people know that when a laser beam hits a target, in addition to the main burning effect, it also has a shock effect accompanied by the appearance of plasma. Thus, with a high pulse power, the laser can have both a stopping and destructive effect. This is one of two factors that determines the division of laser systems into pulsed and long-term laser systems. The second factor is, of course, energy consumption. Pulsed lasers should consume several times less energy than continuously operating lasers.

This is how, unbeknownst to myself, I approached the question of IL and UDV. So, repeating a few things, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. ILs fire in short pulses. (The pulse duration is only a few microseconds.) The action of these pulses is accompanied by piercing, stopping (impact) and destructive effects. Pulsed lasers require much less energy to operate than long-term lasers. From which it follows that they can operate from small autonomous power sources (batteries). All this determines the use of pulse systems in hand-held small arms.

2. The UDVs emit a constant beam. (Duration from a second or more.) With its help you can melt heavy military equipment, various structures and fortifications, and by moving it, you can burn the enemy’s manpower. (In fact, this is the same Garin hyperboloid that I mentioned at the very beginning of my article.) It is clear that energy consumption in this type of weapon increases sharply, and there is no need to talk about any batteries. That is why long-term exposure installations can only be installed on military equipment, aircraft(including space) and ships.

When we have figured out the difference between pulsed lasers and long-term exposure installations, I would like to recall some modifications of the future, still fantastic weapon:

Multi-barrel lasers. In my opinion, such laser systems should only be pulsed. After all, their advantage lies precisely in the ability to shoot with a doublet (this is for double-barreled guns). In this case, several pulses hit the target simultaneously. I’m not saying that using a multi-barrel weapon is easier to hit the enemy (that goes without saying), but it’s worth thinking about the destructive power of such a salvo. After all, this is a real super shotgun, loaded with the famous dum-dum. It will literally tear apart the target. In my novel “Marauders,” I armed some of the mercenaries with Remington SK-41 multi-barreled carbines and described exactly this effect.

Sniper laser rifles. Precision weapons. This can be asserted if we take into account that the laser pulse moves in an ideal straight line, and at the speed of light. It is not affected by gravity or wind. The rifle itself remains completely motionless when fired.

In Marauders, I armed a lot of characters with laser weapons, and that's no accident. The fact is that the development of laser weapons is already in full swing. Therefore, it is very likely that from a fantasy it will very soon move into the category of a real military weapon. It will replace firearms models and will begin to develop and improve. It is clear that, along with laser systems, others will appear, but the head start that laser engineers will receive will allow them to for a long time dominate the arms market.

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 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 exercises, drones were destroyed, artillery shells and mortar shells.

What happened?

This is, of course, not the first test. In 2013, a ground-based laser was tested 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 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 bring air-launched laser weapons to intercept ballistic missiles into practical use. 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 “beer-can-sized holes” 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 several times cheaper than spending expensive missiles to destroy targets.

Today the Pentagon is requesting $90.3 million for 2017 fiscal year only to create 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.

Pros and cons

Advantages of laser weapons: speed of use, practically unlimited number of “shots”, constant aiming at the target, 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. .

However, there are also obvious disadvantages similar weapons: 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 installation, 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, it will be necessary to build into the system soundtrack 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

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 was presented by the American physicist Theodore Maiman in 1960, and today lasers are used in the most various fields. 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 related to 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. A modified Boeing 747-400F airliner served as a platform for placing a combat laser.

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 YAL-1 over other missile defense systems is that the laser complex is theoretically capable of destroying missiles at initial stage flight. The American military has repeatedly announced successful tests of a laser system. However, the real effectiveness of such a complex seems rather dubious, 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.

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 rapid-fire 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, but during testing it also managed to destroy a surface target - a 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 system is combined into single complex from the ship 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, in which the laser system is also combined with a rapid-fire 25-mm artillery piece. 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

A 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 huge 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 against them in the lower layers of 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. Typically, exotic weapon systems are one of the most effective ways“relatively honest” earning money by lobbyists. 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 simpler solutions to the 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 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 fleet and used on surface ships, for starters - as part of systems based on platforms such as the Palma ZK or AK-130-176.

IN 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.

2610