[24] Would the permanent blinding of a soldier struck by a ZM-87's laser beam be considered intentional or accidental? However, as with the development of any unprecedented military capability, there are risks, challenges and limitations involving their cost, schedule and performance. These devices have also been demonstrated to stall or damage car, truck, or boat motors. Laser light can be produced by a number of different methods, ranging from rods of chemically doped glass to energetic chemical reactions to semiconductors. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 22:00. 12 Jen Judson, U.S. Raytheon had marketed a reduced-range version of this technology. Some common bio-effects of non-lethal electromagnetic weapons include: Interference with breathing poses the most significant, potentially lethal results. Various morally flexible, highly educated professionals provide their services to the states most probably lured by utilitarian gains and acting not only against the law, but against any moral value, their Ippocratical oath and other professional ethics. Both the Allies and the Axis powers conducted basic research and studies into primitive directed-energy weapons before World War II. In addition, the cost per shot of a directed energy weapons could be orders of magnitude less expensive than current kinetic weapons. [6]GlobalSecurity.org, "Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)," at http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/patriot-ac-3.htm (March 15, 2006). Army Successfully Demos Laser Weapon Stryker in Germany, DefenseNews.com, March 21, 2018, available at < https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/03/21/us-army-successfully-demos-laser-weapon-on-stryker-in-europe/>. The system generates a focused beam of energy at the frequency of 95 gigahertz. Are these weapons still science fiction, lab experiments, or are they real? Between 200005, a prototype chemical laser successfully destroyed 46 rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds in flight during field tests. [3]Richard M. Roberds, Ph.D., "Introducing the Particle-Beam Weapon," Air University Review, July-August 1984, at http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1984/jul-aug/roberds.html (March 15, 2006). These data are then passed on to the mirror system, which makes appropriate corrections so that, when the COIL fires, maximum energy is transmitted to the target. High-energy lasers (HEL) can range from a few kilowatts to megawatts of average power. According to DOD's Joint Publication 3-13 Electronic Warfare, directed energy (DE) is described as an; umbrella term covering technologies that produce a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic particles. [3], China,[4][5][6][7] France,[8][9][10][11] Germany,[8][9] the United Kingdom,[12][13] Russia,[14][15][16] India,[17][18][19] and Pakistan[20][21][22] are also developing military-grade directed-energy weapons, while Iran[23][24][25][26] and Turkey claim to have them in active service. However, British scientists calculated that the electronic systems of the time could not generate the power necessary for a "death ray," and research was redirected into early radar detection systems. Blooming is also a problem in particle-beam weapons. [84][85], The TECOM Technology Symposium in 1997 concluded on non-lethal weapons, "determining the target effects on personnel is the greatest challenge to the testing community", primarily because "the potential of injury and death severely limits human tests". But again, advances in computational power coming out of the gaming industry (such as graphics processing units) and artificial intelligence coming from autonomous automobile development can be instrumental in providing these needed capabilities. Bofors HPM Blackout is a high-powered microwave weapon that is said to be able to destroy at short distance a wide variety of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic equipment and is purportedly non-lethal. As they become smaller, DEW weapons will first be vehicle-mounted and then possibly man-portable. Future research will seek to increase the power and decrease the size of DEW systems. It turned out that during its three-year deployment, from 201114, it was used nearly around the clock in its ISR mode. "Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program,", Richard M. Roberds, Ph.D., "Introducing the Particle-Beam Weapon,", GlobalSecurity.org, "Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)," at, Bill Gertz, "N. Korea Fired Laser at Troops,", "Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program. [74] Some of the victims of this method suffered from suspicious cases of cancer and have claimed that they had also been targeted with directed X-rays. For example, a recent test of a solid-state laser by Northrop Grumman produced a continuous 27-kilowatt beam that lasted just under six minutes.[23]. While centuries of technological advances have improved the power of these materials, the basic operating principle of chemical-powered weapons ultimately remains the same. Light and repetitive visual signals can induce epileptic seizures. However, British scientists calculated that the electronic systems of the time could not generate the power necessary for a "death ray," and research was redirected into early radar detection systems. The number of "shots" a laser weapon can produce is limited only by its power supply. In addition, while you are firing on one power source, you can be charging another for near continuous operation. Not only could they be used to defend against ballistic missiles in the boost/ascent and midcourse phase, but they could also be used to defend critical space-based assets against enemy anti-satellite attack. The deuterium fluoride chemical laser fires, hitting the rocket or shell and causing it to explode far short of its intended target. While DEWs are not a panacea, the armed services should fully support research and development of these useful technologies. The air-launched uses scramjets or rockets to power it throughout flight. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The United States has the technology, the resources, the talent, and the infrastructure to develop and deploy directed energy weapons to meet todays and tomorrows emerging threats. Panel discussions on the role of high-power lasers in SDI took place at various laser conferences, during the 1980s, with the participation of noted physicists including Edward Teller.[76][77]. [54] They range in size from small, portable handheld units which can be strapped to a person's chest, to larger models which require a mount. DefenseNews in their coverage of the March 2018 Booz Allen Hamilton/CSBA Directed Energy Summit in Washington highlighted the remark by Colonel Dennis Wille, the Army G3 strategic program chief for U.S. Army Europe, that over the weekend the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (supported by the 7th Army Training Command and the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma) had conducted a live-fire engagement of the 5kW Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser demonstrator at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. In this manner someone could be debilitated even though they were no longer imprisoned. Light is, for practical purposes, unaffected by, Lasers travel at light-speed and have long range, making them suitable for use in. 7, No. The United States will soon be reaching the point where it can generate a megawatt of power in a size, weight, and volume capable of being put on a high-altitude aircraft or space-based platform. "Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program," Defense Update, at http://www.defense-update.com/directory/THEL.htm (March 10, 2006). [citation needed], Another approach was Ernst Schiebolds 'Rntgenkanone' developed from 1943 in Groostheim near Aschaffenburg. Reversing the order of events in retelling the story created a "tale" where tourists car engine stopped first and then were approached by a German soldier who told them that they had to wait. A DE weapon is a system using DE primarily as a direct means to disable, damage or destroy adversary equipment, facilities, and personnel. High-power microwave (HPM) weapons work by producing either beams or short bursts of high-frequency radio energy. The Defense Department and Congress should start to fund promising and proven DEW technology so that promising weapon systems can move from the lab to the battlefield where they can help military personnel. When they return to their normal or ground state, the electrons emit photons (particles of light). Paired with a microwave generator, an EPFCG could produce an ultrashort, intense microwave burst. Increasing laser power and improving the beam quality can also help to mitigate atmospheric effects in many cases. For fictional uses, see, "DEW" redirects here. A demonstration system was tested at Kirtland Air Force Base in 2000. The EPFCG uses chemical explosives to compress an electrically charged coil. However, current research focuses on using them as a means of nonlethal area defense and as anti-electronic weapons rather than as "death rays.". Building a Stryker with a 50kW laser is a follow-on to the 5kW laser the Army tested on the vehicle just a year ago in Germany at the Joint Warfighting Assessment and related efforts. This directed energy technology was designed for nonlethal control of crowds. Depending on several operational factors, directed-energy weapons may be cheaper to operate than conventional weapons in certain contexts. Lasers produce either continuous beams or short, intense pulses of light in every spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet. Conceptual MindWorks in San Antonio, TX received a $7 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract to provide for research support around emerging directed energy weapons (including non-lethal weapons) and their effects on humans.Work will be conducted in cooperation with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Human Effectiveness Directorate (AFRL/HEDR), Directed Energy Bio-effects Division, Radio . Depending on factors such as burst height, microwave frequency, and the shielding around the target electronics, such an e-bomb could have an effective range of several hundred meters. The virtual inaudibility of the equipment is said to produce a "spooky" psychological effect. It is relatively close to deployment. The article states: 'The squawk box is highly directional which gives it its appeal. However, no military has yet openly deployed HPM weapons. Directed energy microwave weapons convert energy from a power source - a wall plug in a lab or the engine on a military vehicle - into radiated electromagnetic energy and focus it on a target . Laser beams also lose energy through absorption or scattering if fired through dust, smoke, or rain. HPM weapon technology is based on the same technology as radar devices, which already have a long history of research and development. Among the directed-energy weapons the Nazis investigated were X-ray beam weapons developed under Heinz Schmellenmeier, Richard Gans and Fritz Houtermans. A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy, including laser, microwaves and particle DEW technology is changing faster than international laws and treaties can adapt. [10], Once tracked by the TILL, the BILL measures the atmospheric distortion between the COIL and the missile. For example, while the Chinese ZM-87 laser interference device is technically a laser dazzler, it can permanently damage the human eye at a distance of two to three kilometers. The U.S. military has developed a directed energy technology that shoots beams of a slightly longer wavelength in a focused area over distances up to a mile. However, directed-energy weapons (DEWs) are a reality, and several have already been tested under battlefield conditions. 10 Department of Defense, The National Defense Strategy 2018 (Washington D.C.: Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2018). [88], Media related to Directed-energy weapons at Wikimedia Commons, This article is about real uses of directed energy weapons. The SOR's world-class adaptive optics telescope is the second largest telescope in the Department of Defense. This makes targeting and tracking easier as well. How can they be used and how disruptive can they be? It is developing a very high-power laser capable of being eventually deployed on a space-based platform to target missiles during their boost/ascent/midcourse phase. When these waves interact with a person, they pass through the skin and transfer energy to the water that lies just under the surface. The system generates a focused beam of energy at the frequency of 95 gigahertz. [82], LRADs are often fitted on commercial and military ships. They will be deployed on land vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, and ships. A year later, testing showed that the ADS could produce effects at ranges beyond current small-arms range. [16] When the microwave energy encounters unshielded wires or electronic components, it induces a current in them, which causes the equipment to malfunction. Laser dazzlers-devices that use laser light to temporarily blind sensors, optics, and personnel- are already available for law enforcement and military use. They are also used on ships as an anti-piracy measure. [79][80] However, this story is comprehensively denied by the crew members of STS-41-G and knowledgeable members of the US intelligence community. The United States cannot allow itself to fall behind in yet another area of warfighting as has happened in hypersonics. In addition to being able to scale effects on a target, directed energy weapons have inherent attributes that are attractive to the warfighter. . One of the greatest attributes of directed energy weapons is that they operate at the speed of light. One problem that affects laser beam strength is a phenomenon known as "blooming," which occurs when the laser beam heats the atmosphere through which it is passing, turning the air into plasma. [24]China North Industries Corporation, "ZM-87 Portable Laser Disturber Fact Sheet," quoted in Human Rights Watch, "Blinding Laser Weapons: The Need to Ban a Cruel and Inhumane Weapon," September 1995, at http://www.hrw.org/reports/1995/General1.htm (March 15, 2006). Finally, the concept of destroy involves the ability to inflict catastrophic and permanent injury on the enemy functions and systems. Developing hypersonic interceptors will also be an option in the U.S. defense architecture. For high energy lasers, lethality depends on the power output of the laser, the purity and concentration of the light (beam quality), the target range, the ability to keep the laser on the target aimpoint (jitter control and tracking), and the atmospheric environment the laser traverses to the target. [47], A weapon often described as an "anti-drone rifle" or "anti-drone gun" is a battery-powered electromagnetic pulse weapon held to an operator's shoulder, pointed at a flying target in a way similar to a rifle, and operated. Though intended to cause severe pain while leaving no lasting damage, concern has been voiced as to whether the system could cause irreversible damage to the eyes. It was developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Raytheon for riot-control duty. Albert Einstein described the theoretical underpinnings of lasers in 1917. Improvements in energy-generating systems may also make particle-beam weapons feasible. (Courtesy photo), The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, is the result of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command research (U.S. Army), The premier professional military and academic publishing house. HPM lethality can be affected by atmospheric conditions as well, but to a much lesser degree than high-energy laser (HEL) weapons. This plan includes a program which aims to test high energy lasers on aircraft against surface to air and air to air missile threats. True support for a program is often best measured by the resources that an organization is willing to devote to it. Because of the strategic imperative to protect U.S. carrier battlegroups to enable us to project power, the U.S. Navy is following this prototyping effort with a much broader Navy Laser Family of Systems or NLFoS program, which will put the Navy on a path to develop and deploy lasers ranging from low power laser dazzlers to much higher power lasers capable of destroying anti-ship and high-speed cruise missiles. For example, in 2005 the cruise liner Seabourn Spirit used a sonic weapon to defend itself from Somali pirates in the Indian ocean. [20], The Active Denial System (ADS) is a nonlethal anti-personnel DEW that uses millimeter-wavelength beams to create a painful sensation in an individual without causing actual injury. Boeing has received a C-130H transport aircraft from the Air Force and is modifying it for installation of the laser system. The power output necessary for a weapons-grade laser ranges from 10 kilowatts to 1 megawatt. The ABL is a system that uses a megawatt chemical laser mounted on a modified Boeing 747 to shoot down theater ballistic missiles. Today, Directed Energy weapons are being developed by the US and its adversaries for land, sea, and air and space applications. [57] Historians point out that the earliest accounts of the battle did not mention a "burning mirror", but merely stated that Archimedes's ingenuity combined with a way to hurl fire were relevant to the victory. Funding has been cut to both of the programs. [2]David E. Fisher, A Race on the Edge of Time: Radar-The Decisive Weapon of WWII (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988), pp. The lasers on the current path to weaponization include solid state combined fiber and crystal slab as well as hybrid lasers. Because electrical noise from car engines would interfere with field strength measurements, sentries would stop all traffic in the vicinity for the twenty minutes or so needed for a test. In addition, a laser shot (including the cost of producing the energy) is much cheaper than a shot from a chemical-powered weapon system. -Alane Kochems is a Policy Analyst for National Security in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation. 3 How a Fiber Laser Works, SPI Lasers International website, available at