Light and penumbra on the way of Americans to laser weapons
Recent tests of laser systems for air defense and anti-aircraft drones, being developed in a number of projects, indicate that their application will only expand in the coming decade.
Laser weapon systems are far from a new concept, but some significant problems in their daily development remain.
According to David James of Crenfield University (UK), such systems fall into two broad categories. The first is weapondesigned to engage sights and other optical sensors, while the second focuses on combating unguided rockets and drones. Systems from the second category attract more and more military attention, as laser weapons become more efficient and energy sources are reduced in size. James noted:
From sea to land
As James noted, over the past decades a significant amount of work has been done in this area, especially in the maritime sector, where a number of programs consider the expediency of using lasers to deal with such threats as, for example, marine UAVs or small boats.
Ship-based systems began to appear first, as they have easy access to a high-power power source, while increasing the effectiveness of laser weapons makes them more accessible to the ground forces. This is most clearly demonstrated by the project of the American army to create a prototype and deploy the first combat laser system. 50 kW systems will be installed on four Stryker armored vehicles in 2022 in order to support the tasks of mobile short-range air defense, which was designated M-SHORAD (Maneuver - Short-Range Air Defense) to protect combat brigades from UAVs, unguided missiles, artillery and mortar fire, and aviation helicopter type.
“The time has come to deliver directed energy weapons to the battlefield,” said Neil Tergood, director of the Office of Hypersonic, Directed Energy and Space Weapons in the US Army, during the issuance of the contract. - The army recognizes the need for directional energy lasers, which is provided for by the army's modernization plan. This is no longer a research or demonstration activity. This is a strategic combat opportunity and we are on the right track, which will lead it right into the hands of the soldiers. ”
As James noted, such developments could help fill the gap in potential combat capabilities, especially in relation to UAVs. When a large amount appears drones on the battlefield, ground troops must be able to deal with the threat. At present, this task is solved by firing small arms and machine guns at very close range, although it is obvious that it is very difficult to conduct aimed fire here. A kinetic alternative would be surface-to-air missiles. However, unlike missiles, drones are much cheaper to manufacture and operate.
Another advantage of lasers is their speed.
Regardless of the threat
Craig Robin, head of the US Army's Directed Energy Project Office, agrees with this point of view, adding that laser weapons systems are also indifferent to threats.
All this, of course, gives advantages from a financial point of view, but at the same time, laser systems can reduce the volume of material and technical supplies for the military.
Robin’s office is part of the RCCTO’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. Under the leadership of Tergud, the organization is working on introducing new technologies into experimental developments that could reach soldiers. Directed energy is the main focus in this activity.
In the work on the M-SHORAD laser, the achievements of the previous MHHEL (Multi-Mission High-Energy Laser) project were used, which also provided for the installation of a 50 kW laser on a Stryker machine and the manufacture of one prototype in 2021. However, the RCCTO decided to expand the scope of the project, so it is currently planned to deploy four lasers. Working in partnership with Kord Technologies' lead contractor, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are competitors in this project, offering their prototypes M-SHORAD.
RCCTO is involved in other projects in the field of directional energy. The main emphasis is on indirect fire protection provided by the weapon system installed on the Stryker machine. The goal of this project, known as the Indirect Fire Protection Capability - High-Energy Laser and representing the further development of the High-Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator program, is to switch from a 100 kW system to a 300 kW laser and supply it to the troops by 2024.
The army previously installed a 10-kW laser on a Stryker machine as part of the MEHEL (Mobile Experimental High-Energy Laser) project, which formed the basis of M-SHORAD work.
The decision to increase the armament power was based on the successful development. As Robin explained: “With regard to the sophistication of the technology, industry investments have helped to significantly accelerate the entire process and achieve good results.”
Fiber optics
Scott Schnorrenberg of Kord Technologies said that there has been a transition from solid-state lasers to spectrally combined fiber devices, "which are significantly more efficient, which reduced their size." He added that the obvious progress in the field of high-capacity batteries, power generation systems and thermal regulation plays a big role, allowing very powerful laser systems to be installed on relatively small combat vehicles.
Kord is currently focused on the development of technology as part of the R&D phase and its use in the development of a prototype and in subsequent serial products. Schnorrenberg also pointed out the advantages of lasers in terms of logistics, noting that “they are also equipped with powerful sensors to obtain additional capabilities for collecting information and target designation on the battlefield.” He believes that after deploying systems under the M-SHORAD project and other programs, the scope of lasers should expand in the coming years.
Evan Hunt, head of the high-power laser department at Raytheon, also noted the possibility of target tracking with laser systems.
"We are talking about a new type of technology that allows you to quite independently detect, track, identify and hit targets in a way that can potentially be used even in relative proximity to industrial or residential areas, without causing great damage."
Shooting down drones
Along with participating in the M-SHORAD project, Raytheon pays special attention to the development of laser weapons to combat small drones, in particular, in its concept of "laser dune buggy" - a powerful laser in combination with a proprietary multi-spectral sighting system mounted on a cross-country vehicle Polaris MRZR.
The system is being manufactured for the US Air Force; in 2020, the delivery of three platforms is planned. At the end of the same year, these three mobile units will be deployed abroad for operational evaluation.
During numerous shows for the Air Force and the Army, Raytheon shot down more than 100 drones from its buggy. The Air Force could use the system in a number of tasks, for example, a car can be parked at the end of the runway to interfere with or destroy unwanted UAVs entering the airspace. Hunt noted:
Before laser weapons enter service in significant quantities, it is necessary to solve a number of urgent problems. Robin noticed that the laser itself is one of the three important elements of the armament installation along with the beam controller, which accurately directs the beam at the threat and accompanies it, and the subsystem of generation and energy management. The latter subsystem should be compact enough for installation on vehicles, although in this case you can take advantage of developments from the automotive sector, in particular the development of battery systems that contributed to the rapid development of electric vehicles. “You want to drive your electric car at the same speed for a long time, which is very similar to how you want the laser to work,” Hunt continued. “The requirements for this technology and lasers are similar and here they overlap.”
According to James, downsizing energy systems is a limiting factor. He expects the U.S. Army and its partners to face problems placing such equipment in a Stryker machine. In addition, he noted that not all targets in the M-SHORAD system are the same and there are questions about what level of damage will be necessary for platforms of various types.
On the other hand, according to James, the range is the most important factor to consider: the greater the distance you want to cause damage, the more power is needed. He noted that the atmosphere is full of various particles that scatter light, that is, there will never be one hundred percent light transmission. At a distance of one kilometer, the atmosphere can be permeable by 85%, that is, 15% of the light will not reach the goal. At a distance of more than 5 km, losses can be 50%, "that is, half of the photons are simply lost, the laser beam loses its strength and does not reach the target."
Learn to fight
“The main challenge for military users will be training to deal with an expanding set of targets,” said Chris Fry, director of the Northrop Grumman’s near-missile defense air defense system unit, although he noted that they are moving away from experimental and technological demonstrations and are turning to actual use by soldiers, which “Will allow us to adopt, adapt and improve technology.” In addition to the M-SHORAD project, Northrop Grumman worked with the U.S. Army in a number of other directional energy programs, as well as with the Naval Research Department, DARPA, the Air Force Laboratory, and other customers.
“The focus is on building comprehensive base systems,” Fry added. “This is not only about the laser, but the whole system: radar, command and control system, network, platform, power generation and control. The maximum efficiency of all these components and the way they work together are important to maximize the potential of the system. ”
Northrop Grumman said that although the size and power characteristics of the systems have been significantly reduced over the past decade, they expect this process to accelerate in the coming years. The ability of laser systems to accompany threats and “hold photons on target as much time as necessary to provide the desired effect” has also significantly increased.
Creation
Schnorrenberg said the biggest challenge at the moment is production constraints. Due to the limited number of laser systems developed to date, the production base is undeveloped, that is, the most important components still need to be developed for large-scale production scenarios.
“The US government is investing in the development of a manufacturing base to solve this problem,” he added. “Ultimately, industry will eventually provide executive mechanisms for developing this base.”
This is key to the US Army’s goal-setting regarding the M-SHORAD program. The contract announcement noted that the selection of Northrop Grumman and Raytheon "will foster competition and stimulate the industrial basis for building directed energy systems."
James hopes that in the coming years the laser will develop as a military weapon in its own way. Although he doubts that lasers will work as completely separate systems, he believes that they will certainly become an essential complement to other weapons. It is unlikely that air defense systems, for example, will consist of lasers alone, but they will become part of a wider system, including missiles. In addition, in order to fight targets at ultra-short distances, the military will most likely wish to leave a separate soldier.
“To make lasers truly effective and more useful to the US Army, their cost must be reduced,” said Robin. However, any technology emerging from a niche market, over time, begins to play a more prominent role.
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