Laser air defense systems DE M-SHORAD in Ukraine. Will the United States decide to field test the latest weapons in the NVO zone?
“In April 2023, at the Yuma test site in Arizona, tests of the DE M-SHORAD (Direct Energy Maneuver SHOrt Range Air Defense) laser air defense system (air defense) took place. weapon short-range air defense) with a power of 50 kW from Raytheon on the chassis of a wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) Stryker (the basic air defense system SHORAD is armed with a 30-mm automatic cannon and anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM) Stinger).
At the beginning of 2023, four DE M-SHORAD prototypes were manufactured to complete one standard platoon, in order to gain initial experience in operating such weapons. In 2024, Raytheon is to transfer four more DE M-SHORAD complexes to the US Army to test the interaction of laser and traditional air defense systems. Serial production is expected to start in 2025.”
“Take it, wretchedly, what is worthless to us” - the nuances of arms supplies to Ukraine
From the very beginning of the Russian Special Military Operation (SVO) Western countries began to actively pump Ukraine with various weapons. The longer the SVO dragged on, the more modern and effective weapons systems were supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
After the countries of the West raked out all the Soviet weapons around the world that they could reach, deliveries of modern American and European anti-aircraft missile systems, main battle tanks, long-range precision weapons, the issue of supplying tactical combat aircraft can be considered practically resolved.
At the moment, Western countries mainly supply Ukraine with modern, but slightly outdated weapons. Their motives are quite understandable - on the one hand, the latest weapons are extremely expensive, and their own armed forces (AF) are not enough, on the other hand, there is a risk of them getting to the enemy and revealing some critical design features and performance characteristics - most recently, Great Britain I really didn’t like the fall into the hands of the Russian military-industrial complex (OPK) of a fallen and not detonated, fairly well-preserved cruise missile (CR) Storm Shadow.
Additionally, the death of the latest weapons on the battlefield is fraught with serious reputational losses, falling stock prices of defense concerns, unscheduled boards of shareholders and the resignations of high-ranking leaders. Therefore, not the F-35, but the F-16, and not the latest modification. If at all they will give after such a "counterattack".
Even the F-16 Block 70/72 fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, most likely, will not receive, not to mention something more modern
However, there is one nuance that should seriously affect the interest of the military-industrial complex and the armed forces of the leading countries of the world in terms of supplying to Ukraine not only the latest, but also promising weapons systems, because now Ukraine is a unique training ground, which has not been equaled since the Second World War .
Itching of impatience: Ukraine as a testing ground for the US and other NATO countries
It is in Ukraine that the contours of what military operations may look like, conducted by motivated adversaries, whose armed forces are equipped with modern weapons and military equipment, are now emerging, of course, with reference to a comparable theater of operations (TVD).
To prepare for the coming wars of the US Armed Forces and NATO, it can be extremely curious how this or that weapon system will behave in a real confrontation with equally modern weapons and military equipment of the Russian Federation.
What criteria will be used to select promising weapons systems that could potentially get to Ukraine?
Several criteria can be singled out, the fulfillment of which will allow the US Armed Forces and other NATO countries to consider the possibility of supplying one or another complex to Ukraine.
First of all, it should not fall into the hands of the defense industry and the RF Armed Forces. This refers to both the weapons complex itself and its ammunition. This means that the latest combat aircraft and helicopters, various hypersonic missiles, ultra-modern Tanks and artillery systems that need to get close to the front line to participate in hostilities.
Its presence and combat work must be secretive enough so that, in the event of unsuccessful use or destruction, it does not cause the failure of the contract for the development and supply in its country - no one needs such sacrifices. For example, take at least the same Patriot air defense system, it seems that one complex was destroyed by the RF Armed Forces, but we have no evidence of this, while there are plenty of photographs of burnt Leopard 2 MBTs on the network.
It is doubtful that such landscapes please the eyes of the shareholders of Western defense concerns.
Based on the foregoing, one can understand what criteria should be met by advanced weapons systems that could potentially be tested in the steppes of Ukraine:
- they should be placed in the rear, most likely on the right side of the Dnieper, away from the front line, as well as from the state borders of Russia and Belarus;
- the ammunition used by them should also not cross the indicated lines and even approach them;
- they should be relatively compact, easily camouflaged, including for existing weapons.
And, of course, Ukrainians will not be allowed even close to them - only specialists from Western countries will carry out operation and combat work. The security of the tested complexes will be provided by special operations forces (SOF) and private military companies (PMCs) of Western countries.
The emergence of what promising weapons systems in Ukraine could be most interesting from a military point of view for the United States and other NATO countries?
Confronting an existential threat
The war in Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the importance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and also showed which types of UAVs are most effective and how they can be used. There is no doubt that the conclusions will be drawn, and now the design bureaus of the leading countries of the world are actively working on both the creation of promising UAVs and the development of means to counter them.
It is unlikely that Ukraine will be supplied with some of the latest top-secret experimental UAVs capable of changing the balance of power on the battlefield, even if the United States and European countries have them, since this contradicts the criterion that the latest developments do not fall into the hands of the enemy. But with UAV countermeasures, everything is different.
The infrastructure of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine gets a lot from Russian tactical UAV-kamikaze type "Lancet" and strategic kamikaze UAVs of the Geran-2 type. The former mercilessly disable ground vehicles, while the latter turn objects behind enemy lines into ruins.
According to information published in open sources, the construction of new production facilities will allow reaching the production volumes of these UAVs, if not in millions, then hundreds of thousands of units per year. No air defense system can withstand such a number of kamikaze UAVs, moreover, even its effective operation will in itself be unprofitable and cause significant financial damage to those whom it protects.
Based on the results of the use in the NWO zone, we can say that the Lancet and Geran-2 have become world ambassadors for kamikaze UAVs.
For example, according to information from open sources, UAV-kamikaze "Geran-2" began to attack from a great height, where they are inaccessible to small arms, anti-aircraft artillery systems (ZAK) and portable air defense systems (MANPADS), and the cost of missiles launched by long-range and medium-range air defense systems can be several orders of magnitude higher than the cost of the most attacking kamikaze UAV.
Thus, Ukraine, and most importantly, the United States, needs highly effective means to combat this threat. Taking into account the previously announced criteria, the following can be considered as such:
- laser air defense systems;
- ZAK, working on the target with projectiles with remote detonation on the trajectory;
- means of electronic warfare (EW).
The subject of electronic warfare equipment is usually quite closed, in addition, promising electronic warfare systems can be disguised as existing ones. Thus, it will be possible to guess about the appearance in Ukraine of the latest electronic warfare systems only by an indirect sign - a significant decrease in the accuracy of hits by kamikaze UAVs.
Of the ZAKs capable of using projectiles with remote detonation on the trajectory, the German Skynex complex from Rheinmetall can be distinguished. Its 35mm autocannon, coupled with remote trajectory-detonated Ahead projectiles, should be exceptionally effective against small UAVs.
However, there are several nuances here. First, the cost of Ahead shells is $4 a piece, which means that a burst of 3-5 shells will cost $12-20. Of course, this is cheaper than missiles, but it may well be comparable in cost to the affected UAVs.
Rheinmetall Skynex ZAK
In addition, if Ahead projectiles are highly likely to be effective against Lancet-type kamikaze UAVs, then how they will behave when shelling a fairly large Geranium is a big question. It is possible that instead of 3–5 shells, 10–20 shells will be required, which will lead to a corresponding increase in the cost of hitting the target, up to the “point of unprofitability”, in other words, when the cost-effectiveness criterion will no longer work for the attacker.
The most interesting thing is that ZAK Skynex, presumably, has already been delivered to Ukraine, but there is no information about their effective work. This means that either they are not in Ukraine, or the results of the operation of Skynex ZAK and Ahead shells in real conditions turned out to be not as impressive as during tests at the test sites.
And finally, laser air defense systems - they are potentially capable of revolutionizing the armed forces, having a significant impact on the appearance of advanced weapons and the battlefield as a whole, including lead to the almost complete "extinction" of certain types of weapons. However, many people are still skeptical about this type of weapons - most likely, this is facilitated by high expectations at the dawn of the appearance of this type of weapons, as well as a number of established myths.
The DE M-SHORAD laser air defense system mentioned at the beginning of the article is only the first sign, the initial stage in the development of this weapon in its modern form. Based on the results of its actual operation, it will be possible to largely judge the possibilities and ways of developing laser weapons, which means that the temptation to test it in combat conditions with the US Armed Forces can be very great, especially since when based somewhere in the Kiev region it will be practically beyond the reach of the RF Armed Forces, except perhaps by accident. Even on the front line, he can try to hunt the Lancets, taking advantage of his visual resemblance to the Stryker armored personnel carrier, from which the DE M-SHORAD air defense system borrowed the chassis.
Laser air defense system DE M-SHORAD
Conclusions
The fact that Ukraine will turn, that is, has already turned, into a testing ground for the latest weapons is beyond doubt.
Will promising, experimental weapons systems appear in Ukraine?
Most likely, yes, it is possible that they are already there, of course, in single copies and under the control of the military and specialists of Western countries.
Will the DE M-SHORAD laser air defense system mentioned in the article appear in Ukraine?
Time will tell - in 2024, the DE M-SHORAD laser air defense system should be tested in terms of joint use with traditional air defense systems - air defense systems and ZAK. It is characteristic that one of the air defense systems that are software-compatible with the DE M-SHORAD laser air defense system is NASAMS air defense systems, and, as you know, these air defense systems have been supplied and will still be supplied by Western countries to Ukraine.
So it is possible that already in 2024 one or more DE M-SHORAD laser air defense systems will be in Ukraine and will be used against Russian kamikaze UAVs, as well as other means of air attack of the RF Armed Forces.
Information