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The Russian military has already received samples of weapons based on new physical principles that were previously considered science fiction.
We are talking, in particular, about laser weapons.
This was stated by Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov at the anniversary of the All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics.
« These are not exotic, not experimental, but prototypes - we have already adopted individual samples of laser weapons”, — quotes the words of Borisov RIA Novosti.
Earlier, Borisov said that such high-tech weapons would largely determine the appearance Russian army in accordance with the new state arms program until 2025.
American army unleashes new round arms race - laser.
Pentagon generals report on the creation of weapons of the future - supposedly silent, invisible and fast.
The US Air Force will receive laser systems for fighters and even drones. It took seven years and $40 million to develop the gun. A laser test gun was installed on a ship sent to the Persian Gulf
« We will soon have a compact laser suitable for mounting on fighter jets. And the day of receiving such a weapon is much closer than you think.", - said General Hawk Carlisle.
Judging by data from open sources, this will happen by 2018.
A-60 laser machine developed by Russian scientists and is successfully tested. The installation is located in the nose of the aircraft - currently it is IL-76. On the roof of the vessel there is a special "growth" with sliding doors, and inside the aircraft is the main laser.
This is done so that the ship does not lose its aerodynamics. In the future, the most modern fighters will also be equipped with laser guns.
The combat beam is capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, enemy aircraft, hitting not only the imagination of the enemy, but also ground targets: tanks and air defense systems. The range of such a shot is up to 1500 kilometers.
Many countries continue to develop laser weapons. And today, both deck-based combat lasers and compact lasers capable of being mounted on fighter aircraft are being developed in this direction. About the direction in which laser weapons are developing in Russia, the editors of the website of the Zvezda TV channel found out.
On the eve of the Western media reported that the race for laser weapons, in which the United States and Germany are already participating, joined the UK. Raytheon, part of the Babcock International Group, plans to develop a deck-based laser system. At the same time, the power of the combat laser is not reported. This is understandable, since such developments are classified all over the world.
Russia is no exception in this regard - so far, many developments have not been removed from the secrecy stamp. The fact that the development of laser weapons is being carried out in parallel with the United States in 2014, said the former chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, General of the Army Yuri Baluyevsky. Actually, the development of combat lasers in Russia has never stopped. However, today they are developing in the direction associated with incapacitation of military satellites of a mock enemy.
A laser beam placed in a vacuum is not interfered with by the Earth's atmosphere, nor by smoke screens, nor by evaporation, so it will not be difficult for a laser installation to disable the optics of an enemy satellite. A reconnaissance satellite deprived of "vision" becomes a useless piece of iron, whose fate is to "surf the expanses of the universe" alone, or to de-orbit and burn up in the atmosphere.
However, to burn out the optics of the enemy was originally studied on the ground. Such laser systems, located on self-propelled units, appeared in the USSR as early as 1982. In particular. NPO "Astrophysics" has developed a self-propelled laser system to counter the optical-electronic devices of the enemy "Stiletto", which was mass-produced.
A few years later, he was replaced by the Sanguine complex, which had more capabilities. In particular, the “Shot Resolution System” was used for the first time on it and direct guidance of the combat laser was provided. Attacking a moving air target at a distance of 8-10 km, he could destroy optical receiving devices.
In 1986, a deck-based version of this laser system with the same characteristics and tasks, Akvilon, was handed over for testing. It was intended to destroy the optical-electronic systems of the coast guard.
To replace the Sanguine in 1990, the self-propelled laser complex Compression was developed, which automatically searched for and aimed at objects glaring from the radiation of a multichannel ruby solid-state laser. It was impossible to protect against 12 lasers of the Compression complex with different wavelengths by putting 12 filters on the optics at the same time. At the same time, efficiency ground complexes the military was skeptical.
Perhaps that is why in the future the tests of the combat laser moved into the air. At the same time, the Stiletto, Sanguine, and Compression became, to some extent, the first ground testbeds.
For testing in the air in the Soviet Union, the A-60 flying laboratory was developed with a laser experimental setup based on the Il-76MD aircraft. The TANTK im. G.M. Beriev together with the Almaz Central Design Bureau. For him, a 1 MW laser was created at the branch of the Kurchatov Institute in Krasnaya Pakhra, which, during tests on April 27, 1984, successfully hit an air target, which was a stratospheric balloon at an altitude of 30-40 km.
The modernized laser complex was installed on the second A-60 aircraft, but work on it and the laser was discontinued in 1993. Nevertheless, the developments were used in the Sokol-Echelon program that began in 2003, the executor of which was the Almaz-Antey air defense concern.
Over the course of a decade, work on this complex was either curtailed or resumed. According to the latest data, it is planned to install a new generation laser on the A-60 aircraft to test the "dazzle" system for space surveillance equipment.
At the same time, it is worth noting that lasers are used not only as weapons, but also as a means of guiding weapons. Here they were more successful. In particular, the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern has developed a multi-channel laser-beam guidance system (LSN) for Ka-52, Mi-8MNP, Mi-28N helicopters, which provides high missile guidance accuracy and will allow helicopters to use missiles of various types.
LSN is designed to perform the task of controlling the movement and bringing the guided missile to the target captured and held by the automatic tracking machine or the operator manually.
According to KRET First Deputy General Director Igor Nasenkov, KRET laser technologies fully meet these requirements and can be installed both on helicopters and on ground equipment, MANPADS and drones.
In addition, laser technologies have also found their application as an effective countermeasure to modern anti-aircraft missile systems. Research Institute "Ekran", which is part of KRET, has developed laser systems for optical-electronic suppression. They provide reliable and effective countermeasures against modern man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).
The most famous development in this segment was the President-S complex. During tests on various aviation targets, none of the Igla MANPADS reached the target.
Obviously, lasers are one of the most promising areas for the development of weapons and means of protection, and therefore one of the most secret.
March 1, speaking with the Address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about six of the latest developments in the domestic defense industry. The head of state disclosed information on systems for strategic nuclear forces and other structures of the army. One of the presented samples, unlike the others, does not belong to the category of strategic nuclear weapons, but, despite this, is of great interest. The Russian industry has created a new combat laser complex.
Speaking about the latest achievements of the domestic defense industry, V. Putin recalled advanced foreign projects. It is well known that a number of foreign states are now working on advanced models of 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 beginning serial production. The latest Russian laser complex is already being delivered 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 specify the main characteristics or capabilities of a 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 other new weapons presented on the first day of spring, the combat laser system does not yet have its own name. In this regard, the head of state invited everyone to come up with their own variants of a name for this system. The Ministry of Defense has launched a special Internet service with which you can suggest your own version of the name for the combat laser and other latest systems.
Machines of the complex on the march
The next day, V. Putin spoke at the 5th media forum of the All-Russian Popular Front in Kaliningrad, and within the framework of this event, he again raised the topic of advanced weapons. He called the combat laser a fantasy, which, however, is realized in reality. The President compared this product with the hyperboloid of engineer Garin from the work of the same name by A.N. Tolstoy.
Not the longest story of V. Putin about the combat laser complex was illustrated with a video. For some reason, the demo video was quite short, lasting 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 these weapons, with real footage or computer graphics, was not given. However, even in this form, the video is quite interesting and provides certain information.
The demonstration of the combat laser complex began with shots of the system on the march. Two truck tractors with semi-trailers of a special configuration got into the lens. Further, during the deployment of the system, there were more technology. Next to the combat vehicle carrying the laser, there were some other samples of special equipment with one or another auxiliary equipment.
Complex in the process of deployment
Of particular interest are the shots from the control center of the complex. The audience was shown several monitors, including those with the signatures "ARM-1" and "ARM-2" (probably a "workstation" with numbers), as well as a certain rack with equipment. The complex's control facilities included a computer-type keyboard, a control knob, and an unclear purpose unit. At the workplaces there are handsets from the communication systems.
The video ends with a demonstration of the actual laser installation. The device of a characteristic appearance showed the operation of horizontal and vertical aiming. The equipment worked with plugs installed or removed, as well as with different positions of the movable protective cover. "Shooting" at targets, however, was not shown.
The official video from the Ministry of Defense shows that several machines are part of the combat laser complex. Most likely, in addition to the carrier of the combat module, the complex includes control and communication vehicles, a mobile power plant and other elements. The joint work of all these samples should ensure the solution of the assigned combat missions. For obvious reasons, the semi-trailer with a laser machine is of the greatest interest now.
The combat laser and its equipment are large and heavy, which is why they were installed on a semi-trailer with a five-axle undercarriage. There are four electric jacks in the center and aft of the semi-trailer. With their help, obviously, the semi-trailer must be hung out and leveled before combat work.
General view of the semi-trailer in the stowed position
The front of the semi-trailer with the laser, located above the fifth wheel of the tractor, is equipped with a medium-sized casing that accommodates some auxiliary systems. Grills on the sides of the casing and vents on the roof may hint at the composition of the internal equipment. The main platform carries two large containers. In front is a smaller one that accommodates equipment. The laser unit is located in the rear, which is distinguished by its increased length and more complex external outlines.
The front half of the rear container has the largest possible section. Behind her, 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 movable roof. The U-shaped unit with folding rear flaps moves forward in preparation for work and runs into a section of the body with smaller dimensions. This ensures free operation of the laser system without restrictions on pointing angles.
In the stern of the semi-trailer, under the protection of the sides and the sliding roof, there is the actual laser installation. 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 swivel 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 case 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 combat it rises and allows the use of internal equipment. Lateral cylindrical casings are completed with removable covers.
There is no information about the device and internal units of the laser machine. It can be assumed that the laser emitter itself is located in a larger case, and it is its operation that is provided by a rising cover. The side tubes in this case should contain optoelectronic means of observation, detection and tracking. The type of laser and its specifications remain unknown. At best, 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 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 of the highest power, having developed guidance means in two planes, can be similar to a promising air defense system. Indeed, a combat laser of sufficient power can be a convenient means of countering enemy manned and unmanned aircraft. In this case, most likely, we are not talking about the physical destruction of the target, but about its incapacitation.
Modern combat aircraft and UAVs are equipped with a variety of optoelectronic 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 a while. As a result, the aircraft or drone will lose some of its functions and will not be able to continue 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 body of the target, the laser will be able to blow up the warhead of the rocket, cause the fuel to ignite, or in every sense burn the electronics of the aircraft. This use of laser weapons has been worked out for several decades, and so far it cannot be ruled out that the latest project does not develop such ideas.
Regardless of the specific method of application, goals and objectives, the laser complex military purpose may have some special advantages that distinguish it from other systems of a similar purpose. So, acting as a means of optoelectronic suppression, the laser turns out to be a non-alternative system. All existing complexes for combating tactical or unmanned aircraft use different principles. They “prefer” total destruction to the removal of an aircraft. It is obvious that damage to the electronics takes the aircraft out of combat much easier and faster than a full-fledged attack using guided missiles or artillery.
If a new complex equipped with a sufficiently powerful laser capable of melting through structural elements of aviation equipment, 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, a long-term impact on the target may be necessary to obtain the desired result. In addition, the successful heating of the object can be prevented by various factors, up to weather phenomena.
Automated calculation workstations
With 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 price of a “shot” of a laser installation 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, it is necessary to develop new methods and solutions.
One of the main problems on the way of the creators of combat lasers is energy supply. A high power laser needs adequate power. The published video shows that next to the semi-trailer of the unnamed laser installation, the second machine from the complex is in position. Products are connected to each other using a large number of cables. This clearly indicates that the power generator could not be placed on the same chassis with the laser, and therefore it is made in the form individual element complex.
Separate placement of the generator set has already become an occasion for the most daring assumptions. In the 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 fantasy, and not the result of real work.
The President of Russia specified that a promising combat laser complex is already being produced and is being delivered to the troops. The first systems of this type were handed over to the armed forces last year. Obviously, the assembly of the complexes will continue, and in the foreseeable future, air defense units (if it is really an anti-aircraft system) will master a significant amount of such equipment. The deliveries 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 experts and lovers of military equipment, in his speech, Vladimir Putin did not reveal the most curious features of the promising laser complex. However, the public was not 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 military and political leadership of the country did not begin to resolve this issue on its own and turned to the people for help. Everyone can come up with their own designations for new weapons, including for a combat laser system.
In his speech, addressed to the Federal Assembly, but of great interest to the whole 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, which has not yet received its own name, is already entering the troops and making a certain contribution to the country's security.
The US Navy began to use ships equipped with laser weapons. One of them demonstrated its capabilities in the Persian Gulf - shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle with a laser gun. It's about specifically about full-fledged weapons, and not experimental sample, clarifies CNN, whose correspondent was on board the vessel.
Combat laser system (Laser Weapons System) was installed on board the amphibious transport ship USS Ponce. According to his commander Christopher Wells, it is universal, unlike traditional weapons used against air, or surface, or land targets.
The laser beam emitted by the installation is invisible to an outside observer, absolutely silent and hits the target almost instantly, as it moves at the speed of light. “Collateral damage is kept to a minimum. I don’t have to worry about ammunition that will fly past the target and can hit what I would not want to hit, ”the commander of the ship explained.
The economic side of the issue especially pleases the captain. The cost of the laser installation is about 40 million dollars. Electricity is generated by a regular generator. At the same time, the cost of one shot is only “one dollar”. There is no need for any expensive missiles worth millions, argues Wells. The calculation that serves the laser installation consists of three people.
At the beginning of the year, Rear Admiral Ronald Boxall. At the same time, the approximate characteristics of the new weapon were announced in the press: the system will be able to work without recharging for up to three minutes, fire up to a hundred shots and fight against a swarm of drones for up to 20 minutes.
In parallel with the tests in the Navy, a program is being developed to equip the US Air Force with laser weapons. So, in June, the United States tested a combat laser mounted on an AH-64 Apache helicopter. The helicopter was able to shoot down a stationary drone from a distance of 1.4 kilometers. In addition, the Air Force command promises to test laser weapons on board AC-130 aircraft.
The range of probable targets for American laser guns is well defined. According to CNN, the target for the Persian Gulf test was "an unmanned aerial vehicle, increasingly used by Iran, North Korea, China, Russia and other adversaries.
British combat lasers will soon appear next to the Americans - London launched its laser program back in 2014.
According to the head of the strategic command of the US Armed Forces John Hyten, Russia is "exploring significant capabilities, including lasers for use in space" against US satellites. Indeed, back in the 1980s, a laser radar (not a combat laser) was used to probe the American space shuttle Challenger in flight. However, with the collapse of the USSR, many developments on laser topics ceased.
Currently, Russia is probably still developing a laser system mounted on the basis of the Il-76 (A-60) aircraft. In addition, Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces of Russia, Colonel General Viktor Bondarev talked about the possibility of arming with a laser weapon light MiG-35 fighter.
Military expert Alexei Leonkov believes that the capabilities of American lasers are still far from being called military weapons.
- What the Americans have done now in the Persian Gulf can be called a demonstration of the capabilities of laser weapons to shoot down plastic unmanned aerial vehicles. And at a short distance and in clear weather. I would not call it a military weapon, since it is still very far from the parameters, for example, of small arms or anti-aircraft missile weapons. There are many factors that limit its capabilities.
The Americans most likely had a 150 kW laser that needed a 450 kW power plant. It is quite bulky, because it not only generates energy for shots, but also accumulates it. Therefore, it can only be in the ship version. The rate of fire of such lasers is limited, the range is also limited. It is highly dependent on weather conditions. And against metal, especially armored targets, the effectiveness has not yet been shown.
Now in the Persian Gulf, the Americans shot down one drone. What if there are ten? And if there are hundreds of drones? And if it will be cruise missiles that maneuver? Well, one or two more will be shot down, and the rest will hit the target? It turns out that the effectiveness of this laser is lower than even the Vulkan-Phalanx artillery and anti-aircraft complex, which they have installed regularly on many ships.
Therefore, I would not call it a full-fledged weapon. But for a beautiful demonstration before Arab sheikhs such lasers are suitable. Maybe they will like it and pay millions for it to have such a toy in their arsenal.
"SP": -CNN claims that the cost of one shot of a laser gun is negligible - only one dollar ...
“They love that sort of thing. But if you calculate how much one installation and all equipment costs. They just don't take it into account. These are hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars. For example, they tested this installation in an aviation version. Its cost was about $ 5 billion, but it never went into the series.
"SP": - At what stage are the Russian developments of laser weapons?
— Our developments were carried out in the 20th century. In the USSR, four real samples were developed as part of the Compression project. This is a ground model "Stiletto" based on a tracked multiple launch rocket launcher, known as TOS-1 "Pinocchio". The marine version was installed on the experimental ship "Discount", from which they fired at surface targets. The air version is a fairly well-known project of the A-60 aircraft. There was also a spacecraft.
All these installations were tested, received the necessary technical and experimental data, which formed the basis of the current developments of laser weapons. Such developments are carried out by the enterprises of our defense industry, but their details, of course, are classified. That's when a really combat laser is ready, the Ministry of Defense will certainly demonstrate it.
"SP": - What are the possibilities of lasers are we talking about now?
- The current state of laser weapons is such that they are capable of "blinding" optics, optical-electronic guidance devices, missile homing heads. But it is too early to talk about the physical destruction of serious objects. The rate of fire, the resource intensity of such weapons, as well as weather conditions are important here. It will rain and this laser will be completely unusable. That is, laser weapons can be used in combination with traditional weapons.
About some details regarding the creation and use of laser weapons by Russia, "SP" told Gmain editor of the portal Military RussiaDmitry Kornev.
- The USSR was actually the birthplace of laser systems. In the late 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, the volume of work on this topic was enormous. The work was carried out in strategic interests. As a result, not a single truly combat system was created. When the academician was later asked about it Nikolai Basov (Nobel laureate in laser topics - ed.), he replied that an important result was obtained - scientists were convinced that the creation of such systems is impossible, which means that our country has nothing to fear that someone will create such systems.
"SP": - Nevertheless, work in this direction is being carried out?
- Yes it is. There are several programs. But no specific data about them is made public. Neither bad nor good. So, there are no really combat-ready systems yet. The task is very difficult. Physical principles impose restrictions on the possibility of using laser weapons. Huge amounts of energy are required. Accordingly, either ground-based or ship-based systems are possible. Still, their options will be limited.
Even the Americans have now shot down a drone specially prepared for this. But, excuse me, “cardboard” models in the USSR were also shot down with a laser in the 1970s. The network has photos of such an installation by NPO Almaz on a mobile chassis. Connected to power sources, she coped with this task.
But technological progress does not stand still. The school of specialists remained in Russia. For example, in Tomsk there is the Institute of Atmospheric Optics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, so it constantly shines a laser into the sky. And in Soviet times, he participated in the development of anti-missile lasers.
In addition, there is a program to install a laser system on the Il-76, which is known as the A-60, in Taganrog. It has been refurbished, however, for many years. Such a laser can hardly be used as a weapon, but it can illuminate optical instruments, such as reconnaissance aircraft or satellites.
"SP": - There was information in the press about lasers in the equipment of the MiG-35 ...
— The one who generated this news, apparently, poorly understands what is at stake. You can't fool physics. It is impossible to place a laser weapon on the MiG-35 - just a weapon. How impossible it is to "bomb the moon" with it. Most likely, they simply plan to install a new laser rangefinder-target designator there. But this is not a weapon, although a laser is used there.
Viktor Viktorovich Apollonov - CEO LLC “Energomashtekhnika”, head of the Department Powerful lasers of the Institute of General Physics. A.M. Prokhorov RAS. Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, professor, laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR (1982) and the Russian Federation (2002), academician of the Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. Member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.
The author is the world's leading scientist in the field of high-power laser systems and the interaction of high-power laser radiation with matter, the author of more than 1160 scientific publications, including 8 monographs, 6 chapters in collections and 147 copyright certificates and patents, educated 32 doctors and candidates of science. Graduated with honors from MEPhI in 1970, Faculty of Experimental and Theoretical Physics. General experience works in the field of high-power lasers for 45 years.
In foreign and Russian media Increasingly, there are reports that laser weapons are being actively developed in the United States. What have the Americans achieved? How can such a weapon change modern ways armed struggle? Are similar works being carried out in Russia? I will try to answer these and other questions in the article offered to the reader.
To begin with, I want to quote an excerpt from an article in an American magazine at the beginning of the laser era, which wrote: “Since the discovery of the laser beam, there has been talk of “death rays” that will make rockets and rocket technology obsolete.” And now about how things are in this area of activity today. In Russia, it has always been important to keep up with other richer competing partners.
Now in the US, chemical lasers are being replaced by solid-state (t/t) laser systems with semiconductor (s/n) pumping. The huge advantage of chemical lasers was that there was no need to create a bulky and heavy power plant to power the laser, the chemical reaction was the source of energy. The main disadvantages of these systems to this day are the environmental hazard and cumbersome design. Based on this, today the focus is on t / t lasers, since they are much more reliable, lighter, more compact, easier to maintain and safer to operate than chemical lasers. The laser diodes used to pump the active body of the laser are easily compatible with low-voltage nuclear and solar power and do not require voltage transformation. Proceeding from this, the authors of many projects consider it possible to obtain a higher output power in the case of a t/t laser placed in the same volume of an aircraft carrier. After all, a solid body has a density many orders of magnitude higher than that of a chemical laser medium. The issue of energy pumping of the active medium seems to be especially important in the conditions of long-term operation of mobile complexes.
Today, the level of development of t/t lasers in the United States is approaching the value of the output power - 500 kW. However, achieving significantly higher laser output powers in standard and already developed multimodule geometries seems to be a difficult task. The main problem in achieving a higher power level for a t/t laser with p/p pumping is the need for a complete rethinking of the technology for manufacturing active elements of laser mobile systems. Lasers with a power of 100 kW of companies: Textron and Northrop Grumman consist of a large number of laser modules, which, when the output power of the complex is increased to a level of several MW, will lead to many tens of such modules, which seems to be an unrealizable task for mobile systems.
Northrop has already presented a workable 105 kW tactical t/t laser and intends to significantly increase its power. Subsequently, "hyperboloids" are supposed to be installed on land, sea and air platforms. However, speech in this case we are talking about tactical LO, i.e., about systems operating at short ranges. Laser power is the energy released by the laser per unit time. When interacting with an object, it must be compared with the losses due to the thermal conductivity of the material, to the heating of the air flow during movement, and with the fraction of laser power that is reflected from the object. This shows that it is possible to heat the object of influence with a laser pointer, but it will take a very long time to heat it. In the most general case, the laser power is provided by the pumping efficiency of the active medium and its dimensions. Thus, it becomes clear that the input of the maximum possible energy must be carried out in the shortest possible time. But there is a very important limitation here - the formation of plasma on the surface of the object, which hinders the passage of radiation.
Existing high-power laser systems today operate precisely in this pre-plasma mode. But it is also possible to tame the plasma mode of energy input, but for this it is necessary to find such a temporal repetitively pulsed (P-P) mode in which the radiation pulses last a very short time and during the time between pulses the plasma has time to become transparent again and the next portion of radiation comes to plasma-free surface. But to maintain a high level of total energy coming to the object, the frequency of these pulses must be very high, several tens or hundreds of kilohertz. Today, two modes of laser action on an object are actively used in the world: force action and functional. With the force mechanism of action, a hole is burned in the object or some part of the structure is cut off. This leads, for example, to the explosion of a fuel tank or to the impossibility of further functioning of the object as a single system, for example, an aircraft with a cut off wing. Enormous power is needed to implement forceful destruction at long ranges. Thus, the projects of the Strategic Defense Initiative, with a range of destruction of more than a thousand kilometers, required a laser power level of 25 MW or more. Even then, in 1985, at a conference in Las Vegas, where full-scale research in the field of creating a powerful LO was launched, it was clear to us, members of the USSR delegation, that in the next 30–40 years a strategic mobile LO would not be created.
But there is another mechanism - functional impact, or, as it is called in the US, "smart impact". With this mechanism of influence, we are talking about subtle effects that prevent the enemy from completing the task. We are talking about the blinding of optical-electronic systems of military equipment, the organization of failures in the electronics of on-board computers and navigation systems, the implementation of optical interference in the work of operators and pilots of mobile equipment, etc. This has already come to stadiums where laser pointers are trying to blind the goalkeepers. With this mechanism, the range of effective action increases sharply due to a sharp decrease in the required power densities of laser radiation on the target, even at the existing low level of output powers of laser systems. It was this mechanism for disrupting the fulfillment of the assigned military tasks that Acad. A. M. Prokhorov already in 1973. And it is this mechanism that today dominates in the field of application of LO. So once again we are convinced: "There are prophets in their own country!".
LO is a weapon that uses high-energy directional radiation generated by laser systems. Affecting factors on the target are determined by thermal, mechanical, optical and electromagnetic effects, which, taking into account the power density of laser radiation, can lead to temporary blinding of a person or an optoelectronic system, to mechanical destruction (melting or evaporation) of the body of the target object (missile, aircraft, etc.). ) to the organization of failures in the electronics of on-board computers and navigation systems. When operating in a pulsed mode at the same time, with a sufficiently high concentration of pulsed power on the object, the impact is accompanied by the transfer of a mechanical impulse, which is due to the explosive appearance of plasma. Today, the most acceptable combat use t/t and chemical lasers are considered. Thus, the US military experts consider the t/t laser as one of the most promising sources of radiation for aircraft-based LO systems designed to combat sea- and air-based ballistic and cruise missiles. An important task is also the task of suppressing optoelectronic means (OES) of air defense and the task of protecting one's aircraft - carriers of nuclear weapons from enemy guided missiles. In the last decade, there has been significant progress in the field of creating LO, which is due to the transition from lamp pumping of its active elements to pumping with laser diodes. In addition, the ability to generate radiation at several wavelengths makes it possible to use t / t lasers not only to affect the target, but also to transmit information to various systems weapons, for example, for detecting, recognizing targets and accurately aiming a powerful laser beam at them.
WHAT OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS ARE IN THE SAME DIRECTION IN THE USA?
Another and very important direction in the application of tactical low-power lasers is being promoted by Raytheon, which has relied on fiber laser systems. The improvement of t/t laser technology has led to the creation of a new type of device: optical amplifiers and lasers based on so-called active fibers. The first fiber lasers were created on quartz fibers saturated with neodymium ions. At present, generation has been obtained in quartz fibers with rare earths: neodymium, erbium, ytterbium, thulium, and praseodymium. The most common fiber lasers in the world today are neodymium and erbium ions. A 100-kilowatt fiber laser complex is already integrated with an anti-aircraft artillery system. A land version has also been created. Recent tests in the Persian Gulf have confirmed the high efficiency of the fiber laser in shooting down drones (drones) at short distances of 1.5–2 km and destroying special targets mounted on small ships.
A few words should be said here about the principle of operation of such “integration”. Seven fiber lasers with a power of 15 kW are placed in the barrel of an artillery complex, taken with all its infrastructure. With the help of the guidance system, the radiation is concentrated on the drone and sets it on fire. The range of destruction is within 1.5–2.0 km. This seems to be a very important technology given our past problems with drones during the 2008 conflict.
It should also be noted that chemical HF / DF lasers developed by the USA are the most promising for combat use in outer space. For an HF laser, the energy source is the energy of a chemical chain reaction between fluorine and hydrogen. As a result, excited hydrogen fluoride molecules are formed, which emit infrared radiation with a wavelength of 2.7 microns. But such radiation is actively scattered by water molecules contained in the form of vapor in the atmosphere. A DF laser was also developed, operating at a radiation wavelength of ~4 μm, for which the atmosphere is almost transparent. However, the specific energy release of this laser is about one and a half times lower than that of HF, which means that it requires more fuel. Work on chemical lasers as a possible means of space LO has been carried out in the USA since 1970. High requirements are imposed on the LO in terms of rate of fire, it must spend no more than a few seconds on hitting each target. In this case, the laser installation must have a source of additional energy, have devices for searching, targeting and aiming at the target, as well as controlling its destruction.
The first successful attempt to intercept missiles using a laser was carried out in the United States in 1983, the laser was installed on a flying laboratory. In another experiment, five air-to-air missiles were fired in succession from an aircraft. The infrared heads of the missiles were blinded by the laser beam and veered off course. It is also important to note the large-scale experiments on functional ("smart") target destruction, which were carried out at the White Sands test site in New Mexico using the MIRACL laser complex with a power of 2.2 MW. US satellites with a set of optoelectronic systems (OES) at an altitude of 400 km and models of Russian satellites were used as targets. The results of the experiments were evaluated by experts as very successful. It should be noted that the environmental problems of maintaining this test bench on the ground do not close the eyes of military analysts to the gigantic advantages of HF / DF complexes in space, where the release of harmful components into open space will not present big problems from their point of view.
At the same time, the wavelength range generated by this type of chemical laser seems to be extremely important for suppressing a wide range ECO. Nevertheless, further scaling of the power of this type of laser seems to be difficult to implement.
The already well-known oxygen-iodine laser should be considered another important development of the LO in the USA. In 2004, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Northrop Grumman conducted the first test of an airborne combat laser. Tests then took place only on the ground - the laser installed on the mock-up of the aircraft turned on for only a fraction of a second, but the performance of the LO was proven. In this type of laser, a powerful photon flux results from a chemical reaction.
These photons form a laser beam whose wavelength -1.315 microns is well suited for military purposes, such a beam overcomes clouds well. The estimated duration of each shot is 3–5 seconds. The target of the laser impact is the fuel tank of the enemy's rocket - in a fraction of a second, the beam heats it up and the tank explodes. Full-scale firing tests of this complex against aerial targets simulating a ballistic missile in the upper stage were carried out in 2007 - in low power mode, and in January-February 2010 - already in high power mode.
Structurally, the YAL-1 complex includes a carrier aircraft (converted Boeing 747 -400 °F); a directly combat laser system based on a megawatt-class chemical oxygen-iodine laser, including six working modules installed in the tail section, weighing 3000 kg each and others that ensure the operability of the complex, systems and equipment. There is practically no free space left in a huge plane.
In addition, under the auspices of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the United States has developed many other systems, for example, a laser system under the designation HELLADS (High-Energy Laser Theater Anti-Missile System). This system uses a 150-kilowatt laser and is designed to protect troop concentration areas and important facilities from being hit by guided and unguided missiles and artillery shells of medium and large caliber.
In June 2010, the US Navy also conducted an experiment that involved another "automated laser firing system", designated LaWS. This complex includes three lasers, two of which are for targeting and one is combat. During the experiment, with its help, four unmanned targets were successfully shot down over the sea. The videos made during the tests were shown with great success at the Raytheon stand during the Farnborough 2010 Aerospace Show. Today, the US Navy is already experimentally studying in the Persian Gulf the possibility of hitting not only drones, but also small-sized surface targets with the help of LO.
We should also mention the tactical complex "Skygard", which was created on the basis of a demonstration sample of the ground tactical complex. The LO mobile complex has a radiation power of up to 300 kW, and its reduced weight and dimensions make it possible to transport it on the ground and transfer it through the air. The basis of the complex is a laser facility based on a chemical fluorine-deuterium laser with an operating wavelength of 3.8 μm. The complex also includes a fire control radar station, command post and aids.
An interesting question seems to be, how much can one trust the reports of the American media about the successful development of LO and the results achieved?
It seems to me that in full, although sometimes to enhance the effect on the public, on which the financing of projects depends, there are also talented dramatizations involving dynamite, high pressure, and other tricks. Journalists also go to these performances with pleasure, who then do their part of the work of involving other countries in spending to get a not always convincing result. But such performances, as we well know, are not only in the United States.
WHAT PROBLEMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMBAT LASERS ARE THE MOST ACUTE?
First of all, this is the absence of a completely new element base for creating new types of LO. So, for example, further improvement of t/t lasers with p/p pumping required the development of laser ceramic technology, and this, in turn, requires time and significant funds. Another example is related to the development of high-power laser diode arrays and arrays. The United States, according to Japanese media, has already spent more than $100 billion on these purposes, and the technology continues to improve. The laser diode array is a single monolithic emitting device containing up to 100 laser structures, the total linear size of which is 10 mm. Accordingly, a laser diode array is an emitting device assembled from a large number of laser diode arrays.
In foreign and Russian scientific literature, one can often find the terms "strategic" and "tactical" LO. It is important to understand by what criteria they differ? Here, the main parameter is the power of the laser complex, with which the range is closely related. effective application. It often happens that they build a strategic complex, but it turns out to be just a tactical one. This happened with the latest and most costly development YAL-1A, it was originally designed for a range of 600 km, and in practice demonstrated the required efficiency only at a range of 130 km.
It should be noted that tactical laser systems at lower power levels in the United States are already very close to replication and actual use. So the Pentagon experts do not even think about closing many laser programs that have not reached the bar and are doing their best to promote their further development. Progress cannot be stopped! Lasers turned 55 this June. Last year's DARPA report talks about a global "game changer" following the widespread introduction of "directed energy weapons" that will transform traditional symbols military power into obsolete trash at the level of cannonballs and cavalry. Strategic aviation has reached a decent level in 110 years. So the strategic LO still has 55 years left. But in reality, its creation will happen much faster.
Russia, according to many experts and media reports, was the first country to achieve noticeable results in this area. As RIA Novosti reported, commenting on reports of successful tests by the Boeing company of a chemical laser on an aircraft, Russia began developing tactical missile defense at the same time as the United States and has prototypes of high-precision combat chemical lasers in its arsenal.
From the words of the agency it follows that “The first such installation was tested in the USSR back in 1972. Even then, the domestic mobile "laser gun" was able to successfully hit air targets. Since then, Russia's capabilities in this area have increased significantly. It was also noted that significantly more funds are now allocated for these works, which should lead to further success. However, the period of scientific and technical bad weather, well known to specialists, after the signing by M.S. Gorbachev at Baikonur of the order to close all work on LR, caused significant damage to laser research in the country. Immediately after this event, stories on the topic “LO is a bluff” began to be actively distributed in the press. As a result, an epic set of myths has formed around combat lasers in our country, hindering the further development of research in this area. Most of them were built on the principle of either a conscious lie, or a diligent transformation of a fly into an elephant.
In fact, the effective help of lasers on the battlefield is real, and the army that can acquire them will receive an impressive advantage. Thus, for example, aviation capable of actively defending against anti-aircraft missiles and air-to-air missiles with the help of LO will become much less vulnerable to air defense systems. And there are many such examples. In the case of aviation, we can talk about laser suppression of optoelectronic missile guidance systems. At the same time, it is important to understand that the development of laser technologies is critically important not for the Americans at all, but to a greater extent for us, for Russia! Combat lasers are an asymmetric response to the West's superiority in the development of high-precision weapons, which is obvious to today's army. The “ideology” of the last statement in an extremely rough form boils down to the fact that our potential technologically advanced adversary, instead of pouring out dozens of blanks “over the area”, will accurately “lay” a single, albeit much more expensive ammunition on our heads, remember Yugoslavia. However, such a scheme is especially vulnerable to laser defense systems, which do not care what "burn" - an archaic projectile for two hundred dollars or an expensive cutting-edge missile. At the same time, the number of these high-precision projectiles on board the carrier is not so large, and their cost is hundreds of times higher than that of the most expensive laser "shot".
Despite the internationally established prohibitions, the LO will sooner or later be launched into space by the efforts of the United States. These are the realities of developments in the world in recent years. Space, according to American military experts, is the highest priority and front line in the conflict situations already taking place in the world. It is seen as a potential theater of operations, in which the unconditional advantage of the United States over any adversary should be ensured.
In many published US documents, attention is focused on the fact that only by mastering the priority in space in all its forms, it is possible to remain a political, economic and military leader in the world and dominate the military conflicts of the future. American experts consider it a priority to create controls outer space, interception, inspection and disablement of enemy satellites, as well as work on the creation of systems for detecting the impact on their own satellites and protecting them from such impact. In the near future, US strategists admit the possibility of the emergence of various anti-satellites, launched into orbit covertly or under the guise of artificial satellites for other purposes. A miniature spacecraft (SC) (U.S. X-37B combat unmanned spaceplane) with a secret mission was launched on December 11, 2012 and broke its own record on March 26, 2014. His previous record was 469 days in Earth orbit. This purpose of the spacecraft is fully consistent with the 2006 National Space Policy of the United States, which proclaims the right of the United States to partially extend national sovereignty to outer space. An important place among the possible species effective means combat in space by American strategists is also assigned to space-based LO.
In accordance with the US doctrine, vehicles of this type will also be used to control outer space, including the identification, inspection and destruction of enemy spacecraft, as well as the escort of their large spacecraft in the interests of their protection. It is in such areas that it is planned to use promising laser developments necessary for future space operations. The same document says that the US will oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions, the purpose of which would be to stop or restrict US access to space or its use. Arms control agreements or restrictions must not violate the right of the United States to conduct research, development, testing, activities, or other activities in space for the national interest. In this regard, the US Secretary of Defense is instructed to “create capabilities, plans and options for ensuring freedom of action in space, as well as for depriving the enemy of such freedom of action.” Clearer, it's hard to say.
One of the most important tasks being solved when creating new types of weapons is currently counteracting the means of aerospace attack (VKN) of the enemy, the continuous development and improvement of which makes the task of developing means of combating them extremely important and relevant. In the opinion of domestic and foreign experts, the most promising means of combating the new generation of VKN weapons should include laser ones. The creation of a super-powerful LO opens up new possibilities for combating certain types of airborne weapons, the effective countering of which becomes problematic with the use of traditional air defense and anti-aircraft defense systems. Flying time, this is the key to understanding the situation. As the missile systems of a potential enemy approach our borders, this critical time decreases sharply. Help in restoring parity can be sought in the implementation of local protection of objects that are especially important for the country's defense capability based on laser systems capable of an instant response.
This trend is, as it is now fashionable to say, in a trend, and it is important to take into account that in the United States and other countries, large-scale work is currently being intensively carried out to create strategic missile defense systems to destroy (suppress) aerospace targets. This, of course, is France, Germany, England, Israel, Japan, which have long been present on the laser technology market and are quite energetically working on the problem of creating an effective combat LO capable of hitting aerospace targets. The Israeli government, in particular, is very interested in having such a weapon against the missiles used by neighboring Islamic groups to bombard Israeli territory. In this regard, a mobile tactical high-energy chemical laser was created by TRW Corporation by order of the US Army and the Israeli Ministry of Defense. With his help, a rocket was shot down active system volley fire type "Katyusha". The tests were carried out in the state of New Mexico. According to the developers, a chemical laser generates a powerful beam, the range of which can reach tens or even hundreds of kilometers.
This is South Korea, which, according to international media reports, is also creating a defense system that will be capable of incapacitating North Korean missile and artillery systems. The powerful laser system is being developed by a group of researchers from the Ministry of Defense and several South Korean military companies. The goal is to transfer this LO to the army for use as a means of defense in the event that North Korea uses missiles and long-range artillery.
This is Japan, which, in order to protect against North Korean ballistic missiles, is developing a powerful laser capable of shooting them down. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the Patriot air defense system should hit missiles in the atmosphere, and the LO - immediately after launch in the initial part of the flight path. It is according to this scheme that work is being carried out in the United States - the curator of these laser programs.
China, according to the American press, as well as other high-tech countries, has LO. The recent publication in the United States of information about an attempt to blind their spacecraft by the Chinese military is a possible confirmation of this. Laser systems are also being created that are capable of shooting down missiles at low altitudes. With a laser beam, it is supposed to disable the missile control system.
According to experts and media reports, the USSR was the first to achieve noticeable results in this area. The glorious successes of the past of the domestic creators of the LO are confirmed by the following well-known facts.
In 1977, at the OKB im. G. M. Beriev, work began on the creation of a flying laboratory "1A", on board of which a laser installation was placed, designed to study the propagation of rays in the upper atmosphere. These works were carried out in broad cooperation with enterprises and scientific organizations throughout the country, the main of which was the Almaz Central Design Bureau, headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician B.V. Bunkin. The Il-76 MD was chosen as the base aircraft for creating a flying laboratory under the A-60 index, on which significant improvements were made that changed it appearance. For the first time, the flying laboratory "1A" took off in 1981. At the end of 1991, the next flying laboratory "1A2" USSR-86879 was taken into the air. On board was a new version of a special complex, modified taking into account previous tests. According to the source , given below, at the end of the 60s in the town of Sary-Shagan (Kazakhstan) a laser installation "Terra-3" was built.
In an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, Professor Pyotr Zarubin, one of the creators of the Soviet military laser program, noted that by 1985 our scientists knew for sure that they could not create a compact combat laser in the United States, and the energy of the most powerful of them did not exceed the energy of an explosion at that time. small-caliber cannon projectile. At that time, the installation already had a locator, whose operation in 1984 was proposed to be tested on real space objects in orbit. Well covered in the press and the development of LO, carried out at the NPO "Astrophysics", led at that time by N.D. Ustinov. The state of recent laser programs was well described by the former Chief of the General Staff, Yu. . The statement is very tricky, it is not entirely clear from it whether Russia had the opportunity to fully develop laser technologies and modern forms LO. Of course, there has been a significant reduction in funding for laser programs, but a significant gap from the rest of the world in understanding the problems of high-power lasers in previous years and very effective R&D programs have made it possible to maintain the potential of Russian laser science and again significantly advance in some areas of research. This fully applies to fiber and disk technologies, as well as to new temporal regimes of laser radiation generation for high-power systems. It is also extremely important to develop new physical mechanisms of action determined by these new regimes.
It is important to clearly understand what is happening today in this critical area of high technology. To date, the LO is one of the most promising and fastest growing weapons in the world. Objects of destruction for the LO can be high-tech equipment, the military infrastructure of the enemy, and even its economic potential. And yet, the combat mission of the existing LO at the moment is only tactical. However, the increase in the power of tactical lasers, which takes place outside the borders of the fatherland and the emergence of new ideas in its use, for example, the combination of powerful lasers with the capabilities of geophysics, can lead to a qualitative leap - the transformation of LO into a formidable geophysical weapon.
Russia has repeatedly found itself in a situation where it was necessary to "crawl through the eye of a needle." And now the situation around Russia is developing in a rather bad way. We must work together to overcome the complacency of the last twenty years. And we will overcome it, no doubt. But for this you need to break out of the captivity of the ongoing copying of many developments of US tactical lasers - still ineffective, cumbersome and not allowing even in the long term to achieve the strategic goals facing the aerospace defense (aerospace defense) of the country. There are many different environments for creating an effective LO. The world laser science began its ascent from a solid body and, it seems, will finish just solid when searching for designs with a minimum weight-to-power ratio of the system - kg / kW, which is important for mobile applications of high-power and heavy-duty laser systems for civil and military applications.
Comparison given relationship for gas-discharge, gas-dynamic, chemical and alkali metal vapor lasers with a similar ratio for a new generation of solid-state lasers indicates the unconditional priority of the latter. Indeed, if this ratio reaches a value significantly less than 5 kg / kW, we can confidently talk about equipping almost all aviation (airplanes and helicopters) and the entire rolling stock of the battlefield and sea-based means with tactical (possibly, in the future, strategic) laser weapons! For all the lasers listed above, the ratio of the weight of the system to its power turns out to be much larger than the value indicated above.
Lockheed-Martin has already announced that it has achieved a ratio of 5 kg/kW for modern solid-state laser systems and sees the prospect of further reduction. In the case of fiber laser systems, which have recently been demonstrated in the Persian Gulf, this makes little difference. Due to the smallness of the exit pupil of the fiber (hundreds of microns), the pulse-periodic (P-P) mode with high pulse energy is fundamentally impossible. This means that it is only possible to use the traditional and absolutely ineffective mode of influence, with which both we and the Americans have already “played enough” in the days of SDI. Hence the intrusive advertising of fiber lasers in foreign media.
But there is another "modern" solid-state laser - disk laser. This idea acad. It is true that NG Basova is already 52 years old, but it is precisely this principle of constructing powerful laser systems that turns out to be dominant today and for a long time in the future. At the same time, a very favorable ratio< 5кг / кВт этот конструктивный принцип позволяет реализацию высокоэнергетичного И-П режима, т. к. апертура дискового лазера имеет диаметр порядка 1 см. Для увеличения средней мощности системы несколько дисков складываются в оптическую систему «ZIG-ZAG» , значение средней мощности такого модуля сегодня уже составляет 50 кВт. Модули, как и в случае волоконных систем, выстраиваются параллельно и мощность складывается на цели. Исходя из приведенных цифр видно, что 100 кВт лазер, компания «Локхид - Мартин» его называет «Thin-ZAG» , будет весить менее 500 кг!!! Параллельное сложение модулей ведет к увеличению общей апертуры системы и, следовательно, к возможности увеличения энергии импульсов в периодической последовательности, что качественно меняет механизм взаимодействия, позволяя многие новые эффекты на мишени.
Laser sources of much higher power are needed to perform aerospace defense tasks. But from the disk geometry of modules with a power of even 75 kW (Lockheed Martin plans this increase due to the quality of reflective coatings) to the power level of the entire system of 25 MW, the distance is gigantic. It is not possible to combine the power of more than 100 modules into a single beam in the case of a mobile complex. What is the difficulty that Acad. N.G. Basov? Enhanced spontaneous emission ("ASE" - the release of energy along the diameter of the disk) makes it difficult to significantly increase its aperture. And if we find a solution to the problem of ASE suppression, then with an aperture of 50 cm in diameter, we can seriously talk about an ultra-compact laser complex with an average power of 10 MW. Another problem that the academician spoke about is disk cooling. We solved this problem a long time ago when creating power optics for high-power lasers of the megawatt class. We have recently succeeded in finding a solution to this formidable problem as well - the suppression of ASE. Now you can safely imagine an aircraft carrier with a 10 MW laser complex on board, effectively problem solving laser cleaning of space and aerospace defense at strategic ranges. And this will be a breakthrough in solving the problem of strengthening the defense capability of the State!
At the same time, we must begin to actively fight against anti-propaganda. For example, such as: "Lasers are very expensive toys, they are not capable of solving any defense tasks, over the past 55 years they have changed little, etc." The reasons for this situation around lasers are quite obvious:
Firstly, the highly successful Soviet laser program of the 70s and 80s was literally "slaughtered" in the early 90s as unpromising - and the characters who did this, for obvious reasons, are not too eager to be responsible for their opportunistic decisions, and today they are engaged in largely more profitable and career-safe business;
Secondly if the production of traditional types of weapons in our country is loomed by the business interests of quite certain groups of influence, then the laser lobby in our country practically does not exist, since there are no others, and those are far away;
B-Third, a significant part of the Russian political elite is always ready to turn a blind eye to the growing "asymmetry" in the field of strategic weapons simply in order not to irritate "transatlantic partners" and always have guaranteed access to their money in Western banks;
Fourth, to continue to fight for the interests of the country's defense capability today is not so safe for personal career and health. It is necessary to have enviable courage, a great scientific outlook, intuition and special knowledge in this area of high technologies, as well as a good vision of the prospects for further development of the strategic situation in the world in order to defend one's position in modern conditions.
It is already obvious that a "laser" technological race is unfolding in the world. The most developed countries, relying on their technological advantage, are directing multibillion-dollar funds to the development of high-tech laser systems of the next generations. Their investment in new technologies for creating LOs is simply not comparable to what we are doing. They are ten times larger. It was the need for the accelerated development of high technologies in his speech at an expanded meeting of the State Council that President of Russia VV Putin spoke about. In this regard, it is important to note the opinion of American experts, which is that laser technologies are still one of the most effective means of gaining technological superiority in the world today. Russia Nobel laureates A. M. Prokhorova, N. G. Basova has always been one of the world leaders in this field, and I hope it will remain in the future
The "legacy" of our great scientists has not gone away, it is here with us. The high-frequency I-P mode was developed in collaboration with Acad. A. M. Prokhorov. It's been 13 years since he left, and we still haven't made any progress in terms of further scaling the power of this generation mode. We need funds and attention of State structures responsible for this area of scientific and technical activity. Another example. Since the proposal of acad. 52 years passed by NG Basov of laser disk geometry .
His "disk laser" is a revolutionary step in the development of the physical and technical foundations and technology of lasers and opens up new prospects for their further development and effective application for solving a new class of problems, both civil and military applications. The patent, however, does not belong to N.G. Basov, but to a German who toured Russia with a sharp pencil and a thick notebook. Half a century has passed, and state support for the development of this unique technology is still insufficient. The policy of concentrating material resources in one Laser Center located on the periphery also seems to be erroneous. It is known that personnel decide everything, and historically the country's most qualified personnel in the field of laser technologies were located in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In such a situation, they are deprived of the opportunity to participate in the creation of new samples of laser technology. And the creation of a new galaxy of engineering and technical craftsmen is a long process, and there is no time for training!
In some more detail for non-specialists, it is necessary to explain what a disk laser is. A disk laser is so called because the laser active element in it is made in the form of a disk with a thickness much smaller than its diameter, having a highly reflective coating on one of the sides of this active element both for reflecting laser radiation and for pumping. In this laser, according to Acad. NG Basov had to solve two problems: disk cooling and ASE suppression, i.e. suppression of radiation generation in the disk plane. Today we finally found the solution to these problems! The prospect of creating a "superlaser" for a new class of problems has been opened.
A mono-modular scalable large-diameter disk laser can and should be made by us in the near future, which will allow Russia to once again take a leading position in this very fundamental issue of laser physics. Mono-modular laser disk geometry is the most efficient form of implementing a compact and lightweight laser capable of being placed on board existing aircraft at an average power of 25 MW. Even the specific parameters already achieved for t/t laser systems with p/p pumping, expressed in kW / kg, allow us to speak in the case of large-diameter disk geometry about the possibility of a new and very effective solution tasks of the country's aerospace defense.
These new-old technologies - P-P mode with a high pulse repetition rate (>10 kHz) and a mono-modular disk laser - are perfectly combined in a single laser complex. In particular, over the past years, in addition to the experimental demonstration of the mode at the level of 10 kW and the use of this mode for cutting metals, glass and composite, we have theoretically shown the high efficiency of using the high-frequency P-P mode for solving the problem of effective destruction of space debris (SM), for cutting thick ice of the Arctic Ocean, to implement a laser engine, to create a conductive channel, and much more.
The high-frequency P-P mode is a laser generation mode in which laser energy is released in the form of a sequence of short pulses with a high frequency. In this case, the peak power of individual pulses is hundreds and thousands of times higher than the average power of the conventional cw generation mode.
Leading specialists in the field of creating high-power high-frequency I-P laser ov and the authors of the patent are employees of Energomashtekhnika LLC, created with the participation of Acad. A.M. Prokhorov in the difficult years of the early 90s. We proposed and experimentally implemented a laser engine based on the mechanism of a high-frequency optical pulsating discharge and obtained record-breaking thrust characteristics of the engine. On the basis of a high-frequency P-P laser, a conducting channel with a minimum resistivity, the possibility of its scaling to a significant scale and the feasibility of such a highly conductive channel, including in vacuum, are shown.
HOW CAN A LASER DESTROY SPACE GARBAGE?
Everything is pretty simple. When a sequence of high-power laser pulses acts on an object, recoil pulses arise, which cause the object to move in space. And then, acting in this way, you can change its orbit and either drive it into dense layers and allow it to burn out on its own like meteorites, or push it into “long-lived” orbits. Currently, the topic of laser cleaning of near-Earth space from space debris is being actively discussed in the world. Thus, the space cleaning technology proposed by US scientists, based on the use of the old generation of long-pulse laser systems, seems to be ineffective. Today, within the framework of international treaties that are important for world cosmonautics, we can talk about a joint solution to the problem of space debris. Such a program, like Sea Launch, could unite the efforts of many countries actively working in peaceful space. Powerful high-frequency mono-modular disk I-P a laser placed on a mountain near the equator seems to be the best candidate for solving this problem.
It is appropriate to note here that the renaissance of many laser technologies is associated with the emergence of high-power high-frequency I-P laser radiation. So, for example, metal cutting in the sublimation (ablation) mode is 7–8 times more efficient. And the appearance of an optical pulsating discharge (reproducible plasma bunch) associated with the high peak power of radiation in this regime atmospheric air leads to a wide range of completely new technologies.
WHAT SHOULD RUSSIA DO TODAY IN ORDER NOT TO BE IN THE WAGON OF THE WORLD'S "LASER PROGRESS"?
Obviously, it is necessary to go towards the main goal - the goal of reliable provision of the country's aerospace defense, but in our own way, without blindly copying all the innovations of scientists and the US defense complex.
Russia has repeatedly proved that it can "jump over red flags" and achieve unique results due to the talent and fantastic performance of scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences and engineering personnel of military-industrial complex enterprises. Lasers are far from toys! Namely, the opposite was declared in our country after the failed completion of work on the Strategic Defense Initiative. But in the US and other developed countries, they quickly came to their senses and continued to work at a double pace. And we, working inefficiently, continue to wait for another "corpse" of a super-powerful laser complex, unsuccessfully developed in the USA, to float past us. But if new modifications of LO based on t/t laser with p/n pumping, which the United States is now working hard on, will not sail, and if, finally, the set goal of building a strategic LO is achieved, almost instantly destroying enemy military equipment at a distance of more than a thousand kilometers. What then?
LITERATURE
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P. V. Zarubin From the history of the creation in the USSR of high-energy lasers and systems based on them for defense tasks, 1963–1980. Report at the seminar of the GPI RAS, Moscow, (2012)
A. Patent 5,175,664 USA. Discharge of lighting with ultrashort laser pulses. H02H 003/22.
b. U.S. Patent 5,726,855. Apparatus and method for enabling the creation of multiple extended conduction paths in the atmosphere. H01H 3/22.
c. Patent 6 191 386 Bl USA. Method and apparatus for initiating, directing and constructing electrical discharge arcs. B23K 9/067.
V. V. Putin. Speech at an expanded meeting of the State Council, Moscow (2015)
V. V. Apollonov. High power P-P lasers, NOVA publishing house, (2014)
N. G. Basov, O. v. Bogdankevich, A. Z. Grasiuk IEEE J. of QE 2 (9), (1966)
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V. V.Apollonov. Conducting channel for energy delivery, Journal of Natural science v. 4, N.9, 719–723, (2012)
V.V. Apollonov. Space lining. Fighting space debris and objects of natural origin with the help of lasers, Expert Union, 5, (2012)
V. V. Apollonov. High power lasers and new applications. International journal of engineering research and development, v. 11, issue 03, March (2015).
Given the need to counter new types of threats, where traditional weapons and military equipment (AME) systems are becoming less and less effective, the military is placing more and more hopes on the use of combat lasers. In this regard, it is of interest state of the art and prospects for the creation of effective samples of these weapons, using as lethal agent laser beam, its real strengths and weaknesses.
Whether lasers can replace existing conventional weapons and when this can happen is still difficult to say. However, taking into account rapid growth this scientific direction, we can talk about real achievements in this area, the development and testing of real technological demonstrators of future combat lasers.
The first real scientific research on the possibility of military use of lasers began to be carried out in the USA and the USSR in the mid-1950s. At the same time, scientists began the first experiments with a fundamentally new promising, in the opinion of the military, type of “superweapon”. In the United States, gas lasers were used, where carbon dioxide was used as the working fluid. However, due to the scattering of the radiation beam and low energy conversion factors, the use of a laser as a weapon was excluded from the use of a laser as a weapon.
It was not until the mid-1970s that these difficulties were overcome. thanks to the creation of a chemical gas laser with a working medium in the form of iodine oxide or deuterium oxide. This accelerated the research process and became a key element in the creation of a special system in the US Air Force called YAL-1.
During the presidency of Ronald Reagan, it served as one of the elements of the well-known Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program, announced on March 23, 1983, with the aim of creating a scientific and technical reserve for the development of a large-scale space-based missile defense system. This program is also known as "Star Wars". During the tests, it was possible to intercept and destroy several UAVs and missiles, incl. BR and even air-to-air missiles AIM-9 Sidewinder.
True, some sources were skeptical about these successes, especially since the program was soon closed. But despite the official closure, the results of the experiments were in demand and gave impetus to more extensive research in the field of laser technology. First of all, this concerned the search for ways to create effective air defense systems with the possibility of guaranteed interception of attacking missiles.
In 1978, as part of the United States Naval Joint Program, tests took place during which a chemical laser guided by a system Hughes Navy Pointer / tracker , successfully intercepted in flight and destroyed an anti-tank guided missile TOW , a laser MIRACL ( Mid — infrared Advanced Chemical a l Laser ) - air target BQM -34 vandal . It was a real success .
Experiments with an improved infrared chemical laser MIRACL showed the possibility of creating a deuterium fluoride laser capable of developing a power of up to 1 mW for 70 seconds. A later version of the laser had an output power of up to 2.2 mW and, in tests in 1985, successfully destroyed a BR located 1 km from the laser gun in static tests.
Along with this, other qualitative discoveries were made. . In the mid 70s. FEL (Free Electron Laser) free electron laser technologies began to appear with the acceleration of electrons almost to the speed of light, followed by energy conversion in an alternating magnetic field. This technology made it possible to choose the most optimal wavelength for high-energy lasers, depending on the conditions of the propagation medium.
Today, most research in the US uses a very high power high energy laser HEL (High Energy Laser). Although it is inferior in power to its chemical/gas counterparts and has worse propagation conditions for laser radiation in various environments, it is more practical for normal operation. Thus, HEL requires only an effective power unit and cooling systems. These are just the conditions that completely suit the military.
Intensive research into the potential capabilities of combat lasers was reactivated at the beginning of the 21st century. . In turn, the increased interest in a new type of weapon led to a rather dynamic development and research in various fields of physics, chemistry, mathematics, electronics, mechanics and highly efficient energy sources.
Geopolitical changes (international crisis, local wars, political instability in many regions of the world), the emergence of new types of threats (terrorism, hybrid war), the rapid development of new military technologies (unmanned systems, high-precision tactical weapons, systems intelligence, control and data transmission, as well as electronic warfare).
To this we can also add the understanding that traditional systems based on chemical energy sources (gunpowder, rocket fuel) have reached the limit of their effectiveness and no longer have reserves for further development and improvement.
The main achievement from the use the latest technologies there was a significant increase in the accuracy and coherence of the laser beam. On the one hand, this is due to the need to destroy small and maneuverable air targets (UAVs, artillery shells, mortar mines) with a wide range of speeds, and on the other hand, to the need to intercept and quickly issue data for firing. Moreover, this process takes much less time and is much more complex than traditional IWT systems.
A qualitatively new weapon also required the definition of relevant requirements. Laser radiation has fundamental differences from ordinary light and is produced as part of an ordered process of forced emission. The laser emits coherent monochromatic light in the form of a parallel beam of directed energy. Laser radiation propagates at the speed of photons (it covers a distance of 100 km in 1/3 thousand of a second), which is 24,000–25,000 times faster than the speed of modern missiles and is a convincing argument in favor of the development of combat lasers.
The coherence of the generated laser light is the spatiotemporal ordering of its constituent electromagnetic oscillations and is the most important advantage of the laser. It is believed that the average value of the radiation energy required to vaporize 1 cm 3 of the material should be on the order of 100÷200 kJ. At the same time, if we assume that to destroy the target it will be sufficient to limit itself to initiating the heating of its most vulnerable elements, the costs will be about 5 times less for steel and up to 23 times for tin. For flammable materials and optical devices, the costs will be even lower.
In this regard, the modern philosophy of using laser weapons does not involve the complete destruction of a potential target, but the defeat of its most vulnerable and sensitive elements (fuel, optoelectronic unit, control system, etc.). Destruction or damage to the latter should result in damage or destruction of the target .
The creation of a high-density laser beam at long distances requires the presence of long-focus and, accordingly, quickly replaceable optical systems or very efficient cooling systems for lenses and mirrors. The minimum diameter of the radiation beam, according to scientists, should be at least 100 mm, while the reaction time should not exceed 6 seconds (for C-RAM systems, respectively, 60 mm and up to 20 seconds). In this case, in the process of propagation in the atmosphere, the laser beam (beam) is under the strong influence of various external factors, both short-term and long-term. In addition, under atmospheric conditions, radiation loses some of its power due to scattering and absorption processes.
In addition, some remain unresolved technical problems, for example, in terms of targeting. Thus, in order to isolate a conditional point (spot) with a diameter of 80 mm on the surface of a potential target and simultaneously maintain the position of the laser beam in space within 20–30 mm during a refresh period of 1 ms (for a target 5000 m distant and moving at a speed 10 km/s), laser gun pointing accuracy is required within a few microradians. This requires high-precision target detection and guidance systems. In this regard, the direction of the laser beam to a given target and keeping it within certain parameters is today one of the main problems that need to be solved.
The high power of the laser pulse makes it possible to reduce the time of destruction of the target and reduce the cost of heating the atmosphere. The latter is associated with the creation of a path by a laser beam in conditions of low visibility, haze, clouds, etc.
Due to its unique properties, laser weapons are considered by the military as universal, capable of solving a wide range of tasks, both defensive and offensive. Moreover, it can be used in various environments and combat conditions.
Laser systems do not recoil when fired, unlike traditional weapon systems. It is distinguished by versatility in terms of targets that can be hit in very short periods of time, as well as flexibility in use (i.e., in addition to destruction, it is possible to neutralize a target by disabling or “blinding” its electronics). Finally, laser weapons are not limited by the availability of ammunition (at the same time, the issues of their production, delivery and storage are excluded). The operability of the system in this regard is limited only by the presence of an energy source and a cooling system.
Tactical laser systems require high mobility, an effective target engagement range of at least 3000 m, high performance in detecting and tracking maneuverable air targets, plus the ability to fire at least 25-50 laser shots during one mission.
In particular, the air defense system under development of the VSHORAD type (Germany), based on the use of combat lasers, is required to hit targets at distances from 1500-6000 m. However, at present, it is this parameter - the possible effective range of target destruction - that is the limitation . Another disadvantage or weakness is the vulnerability of the laser optical assembly to contamination or corrosion.
Of interest are also the views of the military and scientists on the directions for further research and potential areas for the use of combat lasers. For example, the tactical use of the THEL type laser is currently being considered primarily to destroy the entire range of C-RAMM (Counter Rocket, Artillery, Mortar, Missile) targets - missiles, artillery and mortar shells, ballistic missiles, as well as relatively slow-moving air targets.
The development of such systems is being carried out today in several countries at once, incl. in the USA, Germany and Israel. We are talking about the creation of a chemical laser based on deuterium fluoride in stationary and mobile versions. Preliminary tests have given positive results in intercepting and destroying, for example, mortar mines. True, it has not yet been possible to increase the rate of fire of the system.
A somewhat different problem was solved by the American concerns Boeing and Northrop Grumman, who worked as part of the program to create a technological demonstrator for a high-energy laser HEL TD (High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator). In March 2017, a demonstrator of a mobile laser system based on a standard HEMTT army truck was handed over for extensive field testing.
The purpose of the HEL TD system is to destroy targets such as C-RAMM, UAVs, as well as mine obstacles, explosive objects and improvised explosive devices (UXO / C-IED), reconnaissance and data transmission systems, attacking cruise missiles or artillery shells at a safe distance. In other words, the new system should be as versatile as possible along with low operating costs.
Already the first tests have shown the possibility of developing a laser power up to 58 kW by combining several separate laser beams in one beam.
The laser combat system demonstrator LSD (Laser Weapon System Demonstrator) became the development of the program to create a prototype combat laser for the US Navy MLD (Martime Laser Demonstration), implemented by Northrop Grumman on the basis of a solid-state laser. The research program consists of three stages and provides for the creation of a combat laser with a power of 150 kW, providing it with electricity from the ship's standard onboard network. The first work contract provides funding in the amount of $125 million for a period of 34 months.
Among other programs, JHPSSL (Joint High Power Solid State Laser) should be noted, which provides for the creation of land and sea versions of 100-kW electrically powered solid-state combat lasers, as well as the Laser Weapon System (LaWS) combat system, i.e. laser power 30 kW class AN / SEQ-3 (XN-1). The latter was successfully tested in 2017 aboard the USS Ponce landing ship-dock, during which it successfully hit air and sea targets. It is known about plans to start mass production of such lasers in the United States, starting in 2020.
According to experts, the new weapon is highly reliable and efficient, far exceeding all expectations. The results of these tests and practical experience in the operation of laser weapons will form the basis of the next American research program in the field of solid state lasers Solid State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM).
Along with these developments, research is also ongoing in the United States in terms of adapting laser weapons to the needs of combat aviation. Thus, the US Air Force Research Laboratory is actively working today to create an advanced self-defense system for combat aircraft based on laser systems. We are talking about the creation of a technological demonstrator of a high-energy self-defense laser SHIELD (Self Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator), whose task will be the destruction of attacking air-to-air missiles.
SHIELD can be considered as the first of its kind active self-defense system for aircraft, both combat and transport in the war zone. The first phase of the project provides for the creation in 2019 of a device based on the use of a medium power laser. The second phase (2021) provides for the creation of an advanced system already based on a high-power laser with the possibility of using it not only for defense, but also for offensive operations.
At the first stage, in addition to the chemical/gas laser, the possibility of using a free electron laser is also considered. One of the main issues in the project will be the creation of a highly efficient and highly productive energy source on board the aircraft to power the laser during the flight. At the same time, it will be necessary to distort its mass and dimensions, integrating it with the rest of the onboard control and data transmission systems.
High Energy Solid State Lasers SSHEL ( Solid State high Energy Laser ) have much better characteristics than their chemical counterparts, but at the same time, their cost is much higher . Therefore, the development of this direction requires the use of technologies for deep miniaturization of elements. In this regard, some experts believe that the end result may not justify the high costs. varity.
The LADS (Laser Area Defense System) laser self-defense self-defense system was developed by Raytheon to replace the existing CIWS Phalanx self-defense artillery system. LADS should provide a higher versatility of the system against a wider range of threats, have a higher range. Its advantage will be the absence of the need to reserve space and volumes for storing ammunition, which, due to the specifics of lasers, will be unlimited.
One of the world's developers of laser weapons is China. According to American experts, up to 30% of 10,000 institutions and organizations are involved in high-energy systems in China.
In 2015, the Chinese company "Juyuan" conducted the first successful tests of a laser system for intercepting low-altitude air targets. It is known that the system is capable within 5 sec. detect and destroy an inconspicuous moving target with a speed of up to 50 km/h at altitudes up to 500 m. The range of the system is 2 km (within the range of ultra-small UAVs).
In early 2017, it was reported that China had built the world's most powerful ultraviolet free electron laser. DCLS operating in the "vacuum" part of the ultraviolet range .
At the same time, it was also reported about the creation in China of a mobile ground-based laser complex "Silent Hunter", using a laser with a power of 30 to 100 kW. The maximum range is 4000 m. Based on this laser, a more powerful version is being created to intercept missiles.
Along with this, it is known about the development in China of options for laser small arms, incl. non-lethal action.
In Russia, air and ground-based laser systems (A-60 program) were tested in the interests of air defense and missile defense, but all work is classified. The Russian concern Almaz-Antey is working on the creation of a mobile combat laser based on a gas-dynamic counterpart on carbon dioxide. The combat laser will be mounted on a wheeled platform.
In turn, the German concern Rheinmetall has been developing stationary and mobile (on a wheeled chassis) variants of high-energy laser weapons HELS (High Energy Laser System) with a power of 5 to 50 kW for several years. A feature of the development is the widespread use of commercial fiber-optic sources of laser radiation and beam superimposing technology BST (Beam Superimposing Technology).
Currently, fiber-optic sources of laser radiation are used that operate in the infrared range at frequencies of 1060 - 1080 nm and combine high power, start quality and reliability. The generated energy is transmitted here to the optical resonator and the target tracking unit via a light guide. The laser beam is formed by BFU units. The system is designed primarily to combat UAVs, helicopters, and other air targets, incl. type C-RAMM and guided anti-tank missiles.
Research continues regarding the possibility of using the HEL system on warships. In addition to those mentioned above, it is also supposed to hit high-speed surface targets, primarily boats of pirates and smugglers. Such a fiber-optic laser with a power of 10 kW was successfully tested on one of the ships of the Navy, hitting the intended training target with a diameter of up to 20 mm at a distance of 1000 m. And a laser with a power of 30 kW destroyed the target at a distance of over 3000 m.
One of the demonstrators was mounted on a GTK Boxer wheeled armored personnel carrier, powered by electricity from the standard network of this vehicle. The energy reserve is enough for 1000 shots with 2-3 pauses, which corresponds to 30 minutes of continuous firing of conventional systems. After that, the car batteries need to be recharged.
The advantage of the HELS system is the versatility and modularity of the design, which allows it to be integrated with various platforms or systems of weapons and military equipment. In turn, it is planned to gradually create a system with a total power of 80 kW (in fact, these will be 4 lasers with a power of 20 kW combined with each other). It is also expected to bring the cost of one shot to 1 euro.
Along with this, the system for detecting and analyzing data is being improved, operating costs are reduced, and the system is parkatically silent and highly concealed from all types of reconnaissance technical means that exist today (excluding the moment of the shot itself).
The German company MBDA Deutschland is also testing a combat laser variant along with an automatic, independent target tracking and data transmission sensor. The sensor will convert the primary approximate data on the position and elements of the target's movement into accurate ones.
Research started in 2008 with a chemical/gas laser was later continued with a fiber optic analogue. During the tests, the old lenses were replaced by mirror systems, based on their technical excellence and better suitability for use in laser systems with a power of 100 - 150 kW. This system is mounted on a 20-foot container along with a circular laser head. Servo controls for lasers and mirrors form a single beam of radiation aimed at the target. The purpose of such a laser gun is the destruction of small, high-speed and maneuverable targets. In the future, it is planned to work towards reducing the size of the system and increasing the radiation power.
The British consortium Dragonfire firm, together with MBDA UK, also conducts research and development and testing of high-energy lasers. For these purposes, the British Ministry of Defense has allocated 30 million pounds. Completion of the technology demonstrator is expected in 2018 in order to be held in 2019 full cycle tests. The new system is designed for use in ground forces and in the navy.
The Israel Defense Forces are planning to adopt the Iron Beam laser combat system, developed by Rafael and designed to destroy C-RAMM targets. The complex includes two solid-state lasers, a radar and a control post.
Own development in the field of high-energy lasers - Yüksek Güçlü Lazer Silah Sistemi (YGLSS) - is carried out by the Turkish company SAVAG together with the ASELSAN concern and Bilkent University (Ankara).
The system has successfully passed the first laboratory tests and fundamentally confirmed the possibility of using it to hit moving targets. In the future, it is planned to purchase a prototype combat laser from abroad and integrate it with Turkish weapons and military equipment. After that, the prototype will be replaced by a domestic analogue, the production of which should take up to 2 years.
Since 2011, India has also begun its own development in the field of creating combat lasers. An experimental setup has already been created there, which in 2017 began passing the first tests. At present, it has been possible to achieve a range of up to 800 m, which is considered clearly insufficient for real conditions.
The creation of laser weapons must also meet economic prerequisites. Thus, the cost of traditional weapons and military equipment existing today can be estimated on the basis of methods of economic analysis. Thus, the cost of a fighter aircraft on the arms market averages 60÷80 million USD, a cruise missile - 2 million USD, and a micro or mini class UAV - from 200 thousand to 1 million USD (depending on the category and equipment). The cost of artillery systems ranges from 1000 to several hundred thousand USD.
On the other hand, modern systems for combating them, for example, the PAC-3 projectile, even cost 6 million USD, the cost of the Tamir missile of the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system is estimated at about 30 to 50 thousand USD, and one salvo of a self-defense system based on 35- mm guns with modern AHEAD ammunition costs about 20 thousand USD (in case of destruction of C-RAM type targets, the cost increases to 70 thousand USD).
At the same time, the cost of one shot of a laser gun installed on the American dock ship USS "Ponce" is less than one dollar!
The US Navy spent up to 40 million USD on research, development and testing of the LaWS (Laser Weapon System) laser system. This is a relatively small amount compared to similar developments in the field of traditional weapons and military equipment. It is also worth noting that in the process of developing laser technology, already proven commercial solutions and civil market technologies are widely used.
Thus, based on the foregoing, the following conclusions can be drawn.
Combat laser systems are still in a state of development today. But already the first tests in practice showed high efficiency and compliance with the needs of the armed forces. At the same time, in order to increase the effectiveness of the use of lasers in military affairs, it is necessary to solve a number of not only technological issues (the development of new technologies), but also develop a concept for the use of this new type of weapon. It is also necessary to develop tactics for the use of combat lasers, to determine the operating conditions and security measures. The rapid development of technology gives every reason to believe that the process of improving new weapons will be carried out quickly enough.
On the other hand, although in the long term new weapons will not yet replace most of the types of weapons and military equipment that exist today, it is already clear that it gives the troops not only completely new unique combat capabilities, but also significantly enhances the capabilities of existing types of weapons.
In particular, the expert community believes that laser weapons will play an exceptionally important role, primarily as an air defense and missile defense system, effectively complementing existing traditional systems.
At the same time, as it turned out, lasers are not yet able to hit high-speed air targets (7M), cruise missiles with low EPR and hardly noticeable to radars. In addition, some modern structural materials, such as carbon-based composites, are less vulnerable to laser radiation. In this case, all hope is placed on heating the insides of the rocket with lasers in the hope of incapacitating it. However, such a solution would require even more energy and/or longer laser target refresh time.
Vladimir Zablotsky ,
KIC expert Defense Express
