Laser/Beam weapons

[LETHALFORCE]

https://www.inquisitr.com/4671092/i...ser-weaponry-system-to-thwart-enemies-report/

India Successfully Tests Laser Weaponry System To Thwart Enemies

 

[Manish Khan]

From indiadefencenews:

India has a secret weapon called the KALI, a lethal defence weapon that can cripple enemy weaponry. The name KALI stands for Kilo Ampere Linear Injector and is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India. One important thing to note is that the weapon is not a laser weapon. A source from D R D O has said that hopefully this secret weapon will be operational during 2020 to 2022. It will be secretly tested at the end of this year at an unknown place in Indian Ocean. The USA attempted to develop the same technology for its defence as well but could not succeed. India, on the other hand, is believed to have conducted a successful test of the first phase of the KALI in 2012. Pakistani news channels blame India for the Siachen Glacier avalanche of 2012 when reportedly 135 Pakistani soldiers were buried alive and many injured. They say that Indian scientists emitted high energetic beams of electronic rays which melted some ice-sheets of Siachen glacier and artificially created this catastrophe using 'KALI' technology. It works in such a way that if an enemy missile is launched in the direction of India, it will quickly emit powerful pulses of Relativistic Electrons Beams (R E B) and destroy the target in no time. According to scientists, the KALI is a much more effective weapon compared to a laser weapon because a laser weapon will bore holes to destroy other missiles, which will take time. The KALI completely destroys missiles and satellites, but without drilling holes, which is much faster. The technology used in KALI, which is basically a particle accelerator, could also power other weapons in the future such as in a High-Power Microwave gun which will destroy the electronic circuitry on other missiles. But this could take time. The idea for KALI, or this technology was first raised in the year 1985 by Dr. Chidambaram, and work began on the Project in the year 1989. Being a beam weapon, the KALI can disable and also shatter any enemy weapon or satellite. The enemies have even seen the KALI as a threat but this is a self defence weapon. The KALI has been developed by the Defence Research Development Organization and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/drdo-focus-on-stealth-weapons-drones/article28988571.ece

Laser weapons, swarm drones on DRDO menu

 

[learn from failures]

From indiadefencenews:

India has a secret weapon called the KALI, a lethal defence weapon that can cripple enemy weaponry. The name KALI stands for Kilo Ampere Linear Injector and is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India. One important thing to note is that the weapon is not a laser weapon. A source from D R D O has said that hopefully this secret weapon will be operational during 2020 to 2022. It will be secretly tested at the end of this year at an unknown place in Indian Ocean. The USA attempted to develop the same technology for its defence as well but could not succeed. India, on the other hand, is believed to have conducted a successful test of the first phase of the KALI in 2012. Pakistani news channels blame India for the Siachen Glacier avalanche of 2012 when reportedly 135 Pakistani soldiers were buried alive and many injured. They say that Indian scientists emitted high energetic beams of electronic rays which melted some ice-sheets of Siachen glacier and artificially created this catastrophe using 'KALI' technology. It works in such a way that if an enemy missile is launched in the direction of India, it will quickly emit powerful pulses of Relativistic Electrons Beams (R E B) and destroy the target in no time. According to scientists, the KALI is a much more effective weapon compared to a laser weapon because a laser weapon will bore holes to destroy other missiles, which will take time. The KALI completely destroys missiles and satellites, but without drilling holes, which is much faster. The technology used in KALI, which is basically a particle accelerator, could also power other weapons in the future such as in a High-Power Microwave gun which will destroy the electronic circuitry on other missiles. But this could take time. The idea for KALI, or this technology was first raised in the year 1985 by Dr. Chidambaram, and work began on the Project in the year 1989. Being a beam weapon, the KALI can disable and also shatter any enemy weapon or satellite. The enemies have even seen the KALI as a threat but this is a self defence weapon. The KALI has been developed by the Defence Research Development Organization and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

View attachment 26317 View attachment 26318 View attachment 26319

This KALI system will be a real game changer once ready.... hope we test it by this year end... will it be useful against Chinese future rail guns and their projectiles with very high velocity???

 

[Shashank Nayak]

From indiadefencenews:

India has a secret weapon called the KALI, a lethal defence weapon that can cripple enemy weaponry. The name KALI stands for Kilo Ampere Linear Injector and is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India. One important thing to note is that the weapon is not a laser weapon. A source from D R D O has said that hopefully this secret weapon will be operational during 2020 to 2022. It will be secretly tested at the end of this year at an unknown place in Indian Ocean. The USA attempted to develop the same technology for its defence as well but could not succeed. India, on the other hand, is believed to have conducted a successful test of the first phase of the KALI in 2012. Pakistani news channels blame India for the Siachen Glacier avalanche of 2012 when reportedly 135 Pakistani soldiers were buried alive and many injured. They say that Indian scientists emitted high energetic beams of electronic rays which melted some ice-sheets of Siachen glacier and artificially created this catastrophe using 'KALI' technology. It works in such a way that if an enemy missile is launched in the direction of India, it will quickly emit powerful pulses of Relativistic Electrons Beams (R E B) and destroy the target in no time. According to scientists, the KALI is a much more effective weapon compared to a laser weapon because a laser weapon will bore holes to destroy other missiles, which will take time. The KALI completely destroys missiles and satellites, but without drilling holes, which is much faster. The technology used in KALI, which is basically a particle accelerator, could also power other weapons in the future such as in a High-Power Microwave gun which will destroy the electronic circuitry on other missiles. But this could take time. The idea for KALI, or this technology was first raised in the year 1985 by Dr. Chidambaram, and work began on the Project in the year 1989. Being a beam weapon, the KALI can disable and also shatter any enemy weapon or satellite. The enemies have even seen the KALI as a threat but this is a self defence weapon. The KALI has been developed by the Defence Research Development Organization and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

View attachment 26317 View attachment 26318 View attachment 26319

Do these pics belong to KALI ..or some US system

 

[Aaj ka hero]

Do these pics belong to KALI ..or some US system

That foreign weapon, I can think off, particularly look like laser weapon that Americans were tasting on their ship.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

The KALI (Kilo Ampere Linear Injector) is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India by the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

It is not a laser weapon as commonly believed. It is designed to work in such a way that if an enemy missile is launched in Indian direction, it will quickly emit powerful pulses of Relativistic Electron Beams (REB) and destroy the target.

Unlike laser beams, it does not bore a hole in the target but thoroughly damages the on-board electronic systems. Scientists say that it can potentially be used as a beam weapon. Bursts of microwaves packed with gigawatts of power (one gigawatt is 1000 million watts) produced by this machine,

when aimed at enemy missiles and aircraft will cripple their electronic system and computer chips and bring them down right away. According to scientists the KALI is far deadlier than so-called laser weapons that destroy by drilling holes since this process consumes time.

It emits powerful pulses of electrons (Relativistic Electron Beams- REB). Other components in the machine down the line convert the electron energy into EM Radiation, which can be adjusted to x-ray (as Flash X-Rays) or microwave (High Power Microwave) frequencies.

This has fueled hopes that the KALI could, one day be used in a High-Power Microwave gun, which could destroy incoming missiles and aircraft through soft-kill (destroying the electronic circuitry on the missile). However, weaponising such a system has many obstacles to overcome.

Please enter a message with at least 30 characters.

 

[learn from failures]

Please enter a message with at least 30 characters.

Our Kali system is looking very huge... I guess deployment can be an issue due to its sheer size... Americans seems to be successful in making quite compact small designs... but nevertheless still kali is a game changer and I am proud of Indian achievement in this field....

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Picture credit and research belong to @sayareakd Sir ..

Like we have Agni BM trains, we should mount Kali on such trains and use against enemy CM and high altitude drones.

 

[sayareakd]

Picture credit and research belong to @sayareakd Sir ..

Like we have Agni BM trains, we should mount Kali on such trains and use against enemy CM and high altitude drones.

Sir look at this at the end.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

https://bharatshakti.in/dew-finally-accorded-its-due-as-battlefield-resource/

‘Dew’ Finally Accorded Its Due as Battlefield Resource

“Dew drops gather as the night sky fades, running as morning comes.
Dreams escape with the rising of the sun. Hope is cautious to return.
Heat grazes the seeds of a sunflower and thorns of a rose;
Petals begging for a gust of wind.
Leaves fall and lose their might,
But rest among the brush – eternal slumber.
Earth never seemed so far away.”

Extract from a poem by BryseBishoff

Dew, nature’s bounty that has enamoured poets and philosophers for centuries and who harbour in its glistening glory to meaningfully derive life’s message has now been reduced to a mere spectre of its original. Only, the attribution of the word takes different connotation when applied to different domains. To the chagrin of the amorist, Dew is being unfortunately flagged to have a reverberating connotation that military professionals all too well understand.

Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) is not the codicil to describe the isochronous drops that accompany it, but the cusp of development and destruction that accompanies DEW in the context of military applications.

Abound for many years as a technology demonstrator, there is sufficient evidence to prove that the weapon has moved beyond the concept stage and promises to provide governments with the leverage over their adversaries.

By definition, DEW, it can be inferred, “is a concentrated beam of minuscule mass of Electromagnetic (EM) energy/atomic/subatomic particles, other than sonic/ultrasonic sources used as a direct means to either incapacitate, maim or kill people, or to incapacitate, degrade, damage or destroy objects.”DEW is attractive for its speed of light engagement, deep shot magazine, ‘stealth-like’ performance, precision targeting and low cost per shot.

DEW could manifest in the form of Lasers, EM Waves and Particle Beams; Where Lasers have the capability of downing planes and missiles and the bright light emanating to dazzle and disorient people; EM Waves including Millimeter Wave (mmW) and Microwaves can be directed against both humans and hardware targets as Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) and finally, Particle Beams to damage a target’s molecular or atomic structure itself. The scope offers myriad application avenues.

Application Avenues

Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, California. Image Courtesy: Wikimapia

Application of Lasers was first demonstrated in 1960 at Hughes Research Laboratories and has since witnessed application in industrial, medical, scientific and military fields. In the military, Lasers have been proliferating with Optronic devices for application in range finding, target designation, target acquisition and tracking and precision-guided munitions. In the last decade or so, development of DEW by use of Lasers, High-powered MW and High Energy Particle Beams, referred to as Particle Beam Weapons (PBW), laser-induced plasma channel (LIPC) weapons, generating precise streams of desired electromagnetic energy directed over long distances to disable or destroy intended targets, has seen a fillip.

The current attractiveness of the weapon stems from the renewed prescription of intrigues that had in the past subdued its rampant development. The aspect of power sources, beam control concepts and pointing and tracking techniques, have all been addressed to provide a weapon that uses lethal energy from a high-power Laser/high-power microwaves/high-energy particle beam to the target for either causing neutralization of onboard electro-optic sensors or structural damage to the target itself.

Kinetic Energy Weapons (KEW), like DEW, are known to have similar effects on their targets, though they travel at sub-sonic or super-sonic speeds through the atmosphere, whereas, DEW travels at the speed of light! As a concept, therefore, militarily, DEW is an extension of KEW, whereby large amounts of stored energy is delivered from weapon to target to produce incendiary or structural damage effects. One transfers High Energy Propellant/explosives and the other- radiation and particle beam, but that alone does not qualify to make a weapon a DEW. Three important constituents of a DEW that differentiate it from other weapons are the high-energy sources influencing operational range; target-tracking and beam-pointing technology determining the probability of hitting target and interaction of high-energy beams with matter determining lethality. Therein lies the appeal of these weapons.

Classification

DEW can be classified based on their source of energy. It is also been tipped as a repartee to the Hypersonic Weapons, the reason why the Pentagon has ascribed the highest classification to its development. DEW can take the following forms:

• Particle Beam Weapon (PBW): By definition is taken from the website, ‘electronicsforu.com,’ “PBWuses a high-energy beam of atomic/subatomic particles to inflict intended damage to the target by disrupting its atomic/molecular structure.” Since it delivers KE into the target’s atomic structure and is only a hard-kill weapon, it is the least mature of DEW types. The Cathode Ray Tube TVs at the turn of the century and the old computers functioned on the principle of Particle accelerators. A PBW accelerates particles to near light speed shooting them towards the target. Possessing KE, they create instantaneous superheating on the target’s surface with catastrophic results. They are regarded as ideal for targeting Hypersonic Missiles in their boost phase, since it bakes the circuitry of the missile and is capable of bypassing laser-deflection measures like brightly polished, mirror-like surfaces. The weapon is also known by various alibis as ‘Phasers, Particle Accelerator gun, Ion cannon, Proton beams, Lightning rays and Ray guns.’
• Microwave Based DEW: Designed to produce the equivalent of Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) to damage the targeted electronics systems, though the collateral impact on the host itself cannot be ruled out. This form is, therefore, ideally suited to be strapped on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Has high utility for targets with a thick overhead cover which are resistant to High Explosive (HE).
• Laser Based DEW: At the core of DEW, development is Laser-based prognosis with seminal research having been undertaken over the years. Use of Pulsed/Continuous Wave electrically charged solid-state Lasers to inflict damage to the target appears most promising and ongoing research will only enhance its lethality.
• Laser Induced Plasma Channel (LIPC):A hybrid operation performed by the weapon emitting a Laserbeam of enough intensity, say a 50 billion watt pulse lasting only two-trillionths of a second to form an Electro-Magnetic field strong enough to ionize the surrounding air and then sending a high-voltage current discharge down this conducting filament to destroy the target. The lightning strike passes through the path of least resistance and is a good conductor.

Where are the World Powers on this Development?

The appeal for these weapons stems from their Non-Lethal use. Russia, the US, the UK, Israel, China, Japan, South Korea, the UAE and even India will increase their demand for these weapons, owing to the onset of hybrid nature of warfare. Further, enhanced attack capabilities such as accuracy and undetectable characteristics become the key drivers for the market. Countries have earmarked revenue for the development of both High Powered Microwave (HPM) and High Powered Laser (HPL) weapon development programmes.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia

India

As per The DefenceMinistry’s 2013 Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap document, two DRDO laboratories, Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) and Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC) are currently working on developing the source for generating the laser, regarded as the heart of the system and presently being imported from Germany. The other crucial aspect being worked on is the cooling mechanism. Information on Microwave weapon development is scant in the open sources.

Mobile Experimental High Energy Laser (MEHEL) equipped Stryker using a 5-kilowatt Fiber Laser, Upgraded to 50KW. (Image: C. Todd Lopez/U.S. Army / Defence News)

US

The 1980s Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) by the then US President, Ronald Reagan is historic after the programme was nicknamed ‘Stars Wars.’ Targeted at ICBMs and space-based applications, the programme now is more within the realm of application in earth-based utility. At a media briefing in Pentagon in June 2019, the Project Director of Hypersonics, Directed Energy, Space and rapid acquisition, stated that “the office will deliver a battery of combat-capable long-range hypersonic weapons to soldiers by 2023, and will field a battery of Stryker combat vehicles with 50-kilowatt lasers by late 2022.”

The ongoing flirtation with DEW post the shelving of the Stars Wars programme, was when Northrop Grumman with Israelis developed the Tactical High Energy Laser weapons (THEL), shelved and migrated to Mobile THEL (MTHEL) to again shift its focus from bulky and logistics-intensive chemical lasers to solid-state lasers which could be powered by electricity-producing diesel generators. Raytheon developed the Active Denial System (ADS) that projects a focused millimetre wave energy beam inducing a painful heating sensation on an adversary’s skin with the intent of repelling individuals without injury. HPM systems as Counter IED have been developed mounted on the wheeled vehicle to operate in Afghanistan. Some of the other mounts include the High Mobility Trucks, Attack Helicopters, UAVs and next-generation combat vehicles.

Russia

History aside, currently, Russia is reportedly developing DEW mounted on vehicles, ships, and aircraft, capable of destroying guidance and navigation systems in manned and unmanned aircraft and precision-guided missiles, disrupting Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation signals and destroying radio communications equipment and satellites. Russia currently is known to have laser systems for aircraft and helicopter defence to mount Lasers with greater attack capabilities on their sixth-generation aircraft, likely to be operational by late 2030s. The development is targeted towards networked systems and precision weapons of the US.

China

China, in a book, ‘Light War or Light Warfare,’ published in 2015 by PLA emphasized the concept of “Informatization,” suggesting the next generation warfare to be characterized by ‘Big Data’ and reliance on AI, with DEW at its core. Emphasis is placed on autonomous space-based Laser weapons in keeping with its evolving space program and airborne Lasers. A 30 KW Low-Altitude Laser Defending System (LASS) with a claimed range of 4 km has been developed. It is reported that China used ground-based lasers to dazzle/ blind U.S. surveillance satellites. Since 2017, news of successfully testing Laser-based Air Defence weapons, designed to defeat UASand HPM developed as ship-borne ‘anti-missile system’ have appeared intermittently. This potentially threatens the US Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles development programme and places China in the league for its use as an anti-Satellite Weapon (ASAT) and would contribute to China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities.

Israel

Israel basically started with Lasers for designation and range finders, until a collaboration with the US had it weaponise it for shooting down Katyusha rockets, artillery, and mortar shells. The ‘Iron Dome’ programme for the protection of Israel against incoming missile attacks and on detection destroy the incoming attack by firing missiles, has been replaced by ‘Iron Beam’ program, designed against short-range rockets and other attacks. Ultimately, it is reported that Israel intends juxtaposing the Iron Beam with the Iron Dome for optimum results.

Defensive Measures in Vogue

Countermeasures are often concurrent with thesis development of niche technologies when protection of strategic arsenal becomes paramount in the developmental quest. Likewise, DEW has attendant antidotes.

Active Measures

• Deflector Shield Technology: Shockwave attenuation techniques using the electromagnetic arc are some of the deflector shield technologies in use. Though not impervious to Laser bolts, it does guard against the explosive shockwaves rampant on the battlefield. The arc generator superheats the air between the intended target and the blast through magnetic induction. The denser than air plasma shield then deflects/ reduces the blast energy minimizing the damage.
• Laser Developed Atmospheric Lens (LDAL): LDAL mimics naturally occurring phenomenon to alter the atmosphere much like a mirage in the deserts to produce reflective effects. The light waves are bent in a hot atmosphere using the reflective properties of the ionosphere and deflect the electromagnetic energy, thus protecting own assets from an incoming DEW attack.

Passive Measures

• Material Hardening: Laser material hardening and electronic hardening means by development and use of ‘meta-materials’,‘nano-scale materials’ and ‘non-linear materials’ ensuring platform integrity and survival.
• Filters: Use of novel filters, material obscurants, signal-noise mitigation to synthetically degrade the atmosphere for directed energy propagation.
• Sub-system Hardening: The electronic/optical subsystem hardening, communications, navigation and ISR sensor hardening, circuitry protection, all enhance survivability.
• Against Lasers.
• Use Laser safe goggles and optic filters.
• In laser expected zones, use Night Vision and Thermal viewers.
• Fire smoke rounds if being lased with Lasers.
• Rely on established tactics from being pinpointed.
• Against Microwave Radiation Emitters.
• Keep all electronic equipment disconnected when not in use.
• Smaller electronic items can be stowed in additional sheath cartons like ammunition boxes.
• Terrain masking as a natural movement tactic, providing natural protection against microwave radiation.
• Limit personnel exposure time to radiation.

Conventions

Whilst, DEW offers distinct advantages over KEW, there are basic constraints, such as beam attenuation, limited range, and inability to be employed against Non-Line-of-Sight targets. This will need to be addressed to make the weapon effective across the entire spectrum of conflict.

Use of DEW raises some ethical questions. Use of DEW has national security connotations and has the potential of altering International Relations. In a Discussion Paper, Article 36, on DEW for the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), at Geneva in November 2017, Protocol IV of CCW ‘Protocol on Blinding Lasers’ was quoted to state, “It is prohibited to employ laser weapons specifically designed, as their sole combat function or as one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness whether to naked eye or devices used for vision.” This entails illegality to the development of Lasers for weapon purposes.

The pinpoint accuracy, reduced collateral damage and lower-power Non-Lethal uses for HELs and HPMs reflects the promise these weapons hold. Ever since H.G. Wells published ‘War of the Worlds’ in 1898, DEW a recurring theme in science fiction literature and subsequently in the movies, is now very much part and parcel of our battlefield resource.

Brig Yogesh Kapoor, VSM

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BharatShakti.in)

 

[porky_kicker]

Please enter a message with at least 30 characters.

KALI is a single shot HPM system with a very high recharge time period and hence it cannot be used as a weapon. Plus it is very very heavy.

I have posted info and pics on actual systems ( drdo lab prototypes ) on HPM systems which are multishot and with time periods of seconds to recharge.
Plus drdo is working on phase locking technology to allow scaling up of the emitted power of the weapons grade HPM ( S band MILO based ) currently under development into much powerful systems with considerable range in the future ,LEO then GEO.

The current HPM will be trailer mounted and have a power supply vehicle in addition.

There is a whopping 20 MW mobile power generation system in existence which is not publicly know but i have posted pics of it. Currently it is used for the DRDO ABM system using LRTR-3 , LCC etc

I expect a similar system to power the upcoming operationally qualified S band MILO based HPM system .

MILO magnetically insulated line oscillator is an attractive high-power microwave (HPM) source since it is a compact lightweight gigawatt-class coaxial crossed-field device requiring no externally applied magnetic field to insulate the electron flow between the anode cathode gap.

MTRDC drdo lab has been working on it since few years.

Plus i posted info and pics of drdo lab prototypes of explosively pumped flux compression generator ( components ) which r generally used to make non nuclear EMP bombs

The drdo thread has info on drdo HPM systems which you will not find anywhere else

 

[airtel]

 

[Abhijeet Dey]

 

[LETHALFORCE]

DRDO Accelerates Work On 'Laser Weapons'; But Where Does India Stand Against China, Russia & The US?

There might be a possibility that future global conflicts including between India and China could be fought with Star Wars-type weapons like “lasers” or “blasters”, as New Delhi looks to begin developments on Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) to stand an upper ground in future warfare. Turkey...

eurasiantimes.com

DRDO Accelerates Work On ‘Laser Weapons

 

[LETHALFORCE]

What Are India’s Plans for Directed Energy Weapons?

DEWs are yet to be deployed by any country’s military, but are widely seen as a critical part of future warfare.

thediplomat.com

What Are India’s Plans for Directed Energy Weapons?

 

[itsAurea]

omg I've been thinking about this ever since I was a kid. Lasers are cool but I always knew that they are dangerous when put into the hands of someone capable of making it work. But look at it now It looks like it something that can be plausible.

 

[FOXBAT ALOK]

War of laser systems: India , China ,Russia , US All Are In The Race

SOURCE : https://defenceview.in/war-of-laser-systems-india-china-russia-us-all-are-in-the-race/

Modern conflicts confirm the changing face of the battlefield, which is ruled by technology. For example, the aggravation in Nagorno-Karabakh has become yet another proof of the effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including shock ones. Moreover, their effectiveness is incomparable with the cost, which is sometimes lower than the cost of missiles of “traditional” air defense systems. Therefore, the designers of the leading countries began to search for anti-UAV-oriented air defense systems. Most of them are based on combat lasers.


India

India anti-drone system
India’s DRDO will work on the development of Directed energy weapons like high energy lasers and high powered microwaves. Directed-energy weapon development will be a part of the national program which will have short, medium, and long term goals. Recently DRDO has deployed its anti-drone system on the occasion of 74th independence day in the PM’S security. Anti-drone system with DEW i.e a 10kw laser which can engage aerial targets up to 1-2.5km range. DRDO will develop variants of DEW’S up to 100kw with the help of the domestic industry. DRDO is supposed to be working on various DEW projects such as chemical oxygen-iodine and high power fiber laser and secretive weapon KALI to take down hostile missiles and aircraft.

Read here :What Are India’s Plans for Directed Energy Weapons?
According to media reports have suggested that a national plan is afoot with short, medium and long-term plans to develop a number of DEWs variants up to 100 KWs of power. In August 2017, DRDO reportedly successfully tested a 1-KW laser weapon at Chitradurga on a target 250-metres away.

The target took 36 seconds to be hit. Parliamentary records have revealed that a couple of vehicle-mounted high power laser-directed energy systems have been worked upon by the DRDO and shown to the military for their feedback.


Further, the country is reported to have already developed KALI (kilo ampere linear injector), a linear electron accelerator for targeting long-range incoming missiles and more work on the advanced versions of KALI is underway.

China

Footage of the tests of the Chinese laser system.
In a recent report from the Chinese TV channel CCTV7, the new PLA Navy technology tests were shown for the first time. In particular, a short-range coastal air defense system with a laser installation was tested in Bohai Bay. Two experimental installations, mounted on a wheeled trailer, were included in the television personnel.

The journalists did not disclose the characteristics of the new air defense systems. According to independent Chinese experts, the total capacity of one unit is 100 kilowatts. This power was achieved by using three emitters, the beams of which are “collected” through a fiber-optic cable in a special device that forms one powerful beam. Experts are inclined to believe that such a beam can hit a small target at an altitude of 7 kilometers.


Russian systems

Russian laser complex “Peresvet” in a combat position
Judging by the available data, the Russian military laser “Peresvet” can be considered an analog of the Chinese system. It is believed that it is also based on a package of modules with a power of about 10 kilowatts, which forms a laser beam of 50-100 kilowatts. According to the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the characteristics of the system are unknown. Peresvet has been on alert since the end of 2019. Therefore, in the speed of implementation of laser systems, the Russian Federation holds the lead.


Also, at the Army-2020 forum, the Russian holding company Ruselectronics (part of the Rostec state corporation) showed an air defense complex, also equipped with laser weapons. Complex “Rat” belongs to another “weight category” but demonstrates progress in creating laser systems. The vehicle on an armored chassis has its own radar, which can detect objects at a flight speed of up to 200 km / h, and with an effective scattering area of 0.001 sq. m., which allows the Russian complex to fight the “stealth” -UV. At the same time, it is possible to hit an object with a laser from a distance of up to one kilometer, and the presence of a microwave emitter allows you to “reach” targets at a distance of 3.5 kilometers.

American lasers

30-kilowatt AN / SEQ-3 LaWS aboard USS Ponce.
In the United States, laser air defense systems were the first to “try on” the Navy ships. So, since 2014, an experienced AN / SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System (LaWS) laser with a capacity of 30 kilowatts has been installed on the USS Ponce ship. And in 2021, it is planned to install a 60-kilowatt laser on the USS Preble destroyer. This version of LaWS will be able to hit not only UAVs but also resist surface ships.

BTR Stryker with MEHEL laser installation.
The closest ground-based laser complex to mass production can be considered the Stryker MEHEL system, which was first presented in 2016. The first sample of a laser installation from Kord Technologies has a power of 5 kilowatts, which allows you to fight only with small drones. However, it is planned to increase the laser power to 50 kW by 2022. Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are developing new emitters in parallel.

At the same time, a high power laser – IFPC-HEL (Indirect Fire Protection Capability – High Energy Laser) is being developed. Lockheed Martin is developing a 300-kilowatt laser to counter cruise missiles, and Dynetics will prepare the chassis of an Oshkosh 10-wheeled truck to carry weapons. True, the results of this work are unlikely to be known until 2022.

Outcome
It is too early to talk about the total superiority or lag of this or that country in implementing laser technologies in air defense. But it can already be stated that laser weapons have not only ceased to be considered science fiction but have also become an affordable alternative to “conventional” weapons. According to sources from The Economist magazine, one “shot” from a 30-kilowatt LaWS costs $ 1, which eliminates the need to spend expensive ammunition to combat makeshift drones.

Render with the alleged appearance of the IFPC-HEL complex.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

3D Systems Gunning for Military Applications with 9-Laser Behemoth

Back in 2019, 3D Systems were awarded a $15 million USD contract to develop a 1m x 1m x 600 mm metal printer with 9 lasers, making it very unique in terms of its size and sophistication.

3dprinting.com

3D Systems Gunning for Military Applications with 9-Laser Behemoth

 

[panzerfeist1]

Russian laser complex “Peresvet” in a combat position
Judging by the available data, the Russian military laser “Peresvet” can be considered an analog of the Chinese system. It is believed that it is also based on a package of modules with a power of about 10 kilowatts, which forms a laser beam of 50-100 kilowatts. According to the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the characteristics of the system are unknown. Peresvet has been on alert since the end of 2019. Therefore, in the speed of implementation of laser systems, the Russian Federation holds the lead.

Disagreement here, there are sources that have stated the Peresvet as a nuclear fuel pump laser ranging 1-10 megawatts. And since this news just came out.

Peresvet is a bigger size queen than this system that maxs out at 1 megawatt.