Lasers are becoming smaller and more powerful. 7 David M. Sowders et al., High Power Microwave (HPM) and Ultrawideband (UWB): A Primer on High Power RF, PL-TR-95-1111, Special Report, Phillips Laboratory, March 1996, 76. [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. In addition, the Air Force has partnered with the Navy in the development of a high-power RF weapon called High-power Joint Electromagnetic Non-Kinetic Strike (HiJENKS) capable of attacking electronics, communications and computer networks. It suggested that lasers, perhaps space-based X-ray lasers, could destroy ICBMs in flight. The command and control system determines the missile launch point. [30][31] After decades of research and development, most directed-energy weapons are still at the experimental stage and it remains to be seen if or when they will be deployed as practical, high-performance military weapons.[32][33]. What exactly is a directed energy weapon? There is no injury to the target individual. The virtual inaudibility of the equipment is said to produce a "spooky" psychological effect. Directed energy weapons are among the high-tech arms of the century. The pain forces the person to flee the area. However, considerable work still needs to be done before they can be deployed. In addition to the nuclear ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea, which can be defended by U.S. missile defense systems, there is a North Korean threat which cannot be defended against today. Lasers can be categorized as gas, solid state, or a hybrid of the two. During the Iraq War, electromagnetic weapons, including high power microwaves, were used by the U.S. military to disrupt and destroy Iraqi electronic systems and may have been used for crowd control. High-power microwave (HPM) weapons work by producing either beams or short bursts of high-frequency radio energy. [citation needed]. Research was also conducted on a mobile version of the THEL called the MTEL. 12 Jen Judson, U.S. However, risks, challenges and limitations remain. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. The device emits separate electromagnetic pulses to suppress navigation and transmission channels used to operate an aerial drone, terminating the drone's contact with its operator; the out-of-control drone then crashes. They have been used on several occasions to repel pirate attacks by sending warnings and by producing intolerable levels of sound. Boeing has received a C-130H transport aircraft from the Air Force and is modifying it for installation of the laser system. They are not "weapons of mass destruction," but they have the potential to . Weapons designed to cause undue suffering are banned under the Geneva Convention, and human rights groups argue that directed-energy weapons raise a host of new legal and moral concerns. This directed energy technology was designed for nonlethal control of crowds. Depending on the type of laser, this means that the weapon can have an almost "endless magazine" of laser bursts. 4 Slab Lasers, RP Photonics Encyclopedia website, available at . [37] Some examples of weapons which have been publicized by the military are as follows: Active Denial System is a millimeter wave source that heats the water in a human target's skin and thus causes incapacitating pain. For ex. ", "Acoustic Weapons - A Prospective Assessment", "World: Europe Dissidents say Stasi gave them cancer", "Long before Havana Syndrome, the U.S. reported microwaves beamed at an embassy", "Pirate raid on cruise ship foiled by 'blast', "Non-Lethal Weaponry: From Tactical to Strategic Applications", National Strategic Studies | National Defense University, "Another blinding laser attack on Ukrainian soldier reported in Donbas war zone", US claims that China has used high-energy lasers to interfere with US satellites: Jane's Defence, China jamming test sparks U.S. satellite concerns: USA Today, Beijing secretly fires lasers to disable US satellites: The Telegraph, China Attempted To Blind U.S. Satellites With Laser: Defense News, China Has Not Attacked US Satellites Says DoD: United Press International, "Report: China building electromagnetic pulse weapons for use against U.S. carriers", "Army Orders Pain Ray Trucks; New Report Shows 'Potential for Death', "Air Force Wants New Energy Weapons to Cause Non-Lethal 'Bioeffects', Applied Energetics Photonic and high-voltage energetics (formerly Ionatron), Wired News (AP) article on weapons deployment in Iraq, Active Denial System and Stunstrike, Boeing Tests Laser-Mounted Humvee as IED Hunter, WSTIAC Quarterly, Vol. Another revolution in weaponry is currently underway, with directed-energy weapons on the cusp of replacing chemical-powered weapons on the battlefield. 2 According to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. [10]Press release, "Airborne Laser Progress Continues as Northrop Grumman Runs Full-Power COIL Tests, Delivers Beacon Illuminator Laser," Northrop Grumman Corporation, January 4, 2006, at http://www.irconnect.com/noc/pages/news_printer.mhtml?d=91869 (March 15, 2006). A laser weapon could target not only a single vehicle in a convoy, but also a specific spot on that vehicle (e.g., the engine) and disable it without injuring the passengers. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. ), is an Executive Vice President and Directed Energy Lead at Booz Allen Hamilton and the former Director of the Missile Defense Agency. [56] Their weapons capability has been controversially used in the USA to disrupt numerous protests. Lieutenant General Henry Trey Obering, III, USAF (Ret. However, these lasers were generally large and heavy. These waves penetrate only a few millimeters into the skin and cause the sensation of heat. The Beacon Illuminator Laser system, which measures and corrects for atmospheric distortion, has also been shipped to Boeing for testing. Researchers with AFRL use the Guidestar laser for real-time, high-fidelity tracking and imaging of satellites too faint for conventional adaptive optical imaging systems. While some uses may be illegal (e.g., targeting an unarmed civilian who in no way poses a threat), other uses are just as assuredly legal and legitimate. This technology delivers very high-frequency millimeter-wavelength electromagnetic rays that heat skin on contact, causing a painful burning sensation. Current HPM research focuses on pulsed power devices, which create intense, ultrashort bursts of electrical energy and would be used to power the microwave generator of an HPM weapon. When using laser weapons, the warfighters will need new situational awareness and battle management tools because of the potential long-range effects to avoid friendly systems fratricide. 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. Funding has been cut to both of the programs. Laser weapons potentially eliminate many logistical problems in terms of ammunition supply, as long as there is enough energy to power them. 79, No. [27][28][29] The first use of directed-energy weapons in combat between military forces was claimed to have occurred in Libya in August 2019 by Turkey, which claimed to use the ALKA directed-energy weapon. This produces a burning pain without actually damaging the tissue. The United States cannot allow itself to fall behind in yet another area of warfighting as has happened in hypersonics. The number of "shots" a laser weapon can produce is limited only by its power supply. "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. Developing hypersonic interceptors will also be an option in the U.S. defense architecture. Current HPM research focuses on pulsed power devices, which create intense, ultrashort bursts of electrical energy and would be used to power the microwave generator of an HPM weapon. European Parliament two directional speakers emitting 16,000 Hz and 16,002 Hz frequencies would produce in the ear two frequencies of 32,002 Hz and 2 Hz. This In Focus discusses a selection of Another power source, well-suited to one-time use in an e-bomb, is the Explosively Pumped Flux Compression Generator (EPFCG). HPM weapons have also been considered for use as nonlethal "heat ray" systems for crowd control. There has yet to be testing for long-term side effects of exposure to the microwave beam. Paired with a microwave generator, an EPFCG could produce an ultrashort, intense microwave burst. They are well-suited to defending against threats such as missiles and artillery shells, which DEWs can shoot down in mid-flight. [25]"Electromagnetic Weapons: Come Fry with Me," The Economist, January 30, 2003, at http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030130-ebomb01.htm (March 15, 2006). Improvements in energy-generating systems may also make particle-beam weapons feasible. The Air Force Research Lab's Propulsion Directorate has studied using generators that use high-temperature superconducting wire and high-voltage capacitors. It was capable of damaging or destroying fast attack boats, unmanned aerial vehicles and was used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). [79][80] However, this story is comprehensively denied by the crew members of STS-41-G and knowledgeable members of the US intelligence community. Semiconductors and modern electronics are particularly susceptible to HPM attacks. [48] The weapon's long-range capabilities limit opportunities for the user to assess on-the-ground conditions, potentiating the risk for its inappropriate or disproportionate use. 1, 2018, available at < https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/03/21/us-army-successfully-demos-laser-weapon-on-stryker-in-europe/>. The article states: 'The squawk box is highly directional which gives it its appeal. 16 R. Jeffrey Smith, Hypersonic Missiles Are Unstoppable and Theyre Starting a New Global Arms Race, New York Times Magazine, June 19, 2019. Does the mere use of a weapon that can cause permanent blindness constitute inflicting undue suffering? [13]SPG Media, "ABL YAL 1A Airborne Laser, USA," at http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/abl (March 15, 2006). Challenges remain in terms of the size, weight and power input requirements of todays laser systems, especially in the thermal control and power management subsystems. How 'Revolutionary' Is CHAMP, New Air Force Microwave Weapon? In addition, a laser shot (including the cost of producing the energy) is much cheaper than a shot from a chemical-powered weapon system. Since 1999 those weapons have been upgraded for another 13 years. One of the greatest attributes of directed energy weapons is that they operate at the speed of light. The U.S. Army has also been moving out aggressively in developing and deploying directed energy weapons as part of its Air and Missile Defense modernization priority. Imagine how much the geopolitical calculus would change on the peninsula if a layered, integrated system of high energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons was deployed to defend against these threats. [26] Most DEWs are not yet far enough along in development and thus have not received this final stamp of approval. 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 . [71] The negative effects of the radiation poisoning and cancer would extend past the period of incarceration. So hypersonic kinetic interceptors would have to be capable of achieving speeds of Mach 15 and higher. Laser light can be produced by a number of different methods, ranging from rods of chemically doped glass to energetic chemical reactions to semiconductors. In the 1970s and '80s it became the primary method of repressing domestic 'hostile-negative'[73] forces. 11, Air War College Center for Strategy and Technology, May 2000. It stresses the heart, causes insomnia, completely prevents deep sleep, and causes severe muscle aches. These high-speed missiles fly at Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) and greater. This is just the beginning of a plan to deploy 50kW lasers on four of its Stryker vehicles over the next few years for operational use.12, A fire support noncommissioned officer with 4th Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division, who participated in the testing of a 2kW version of the laser vehicle at Fort Sill, Oklahoma against unmanned drones was quoted in a February 28, 2018 Army Times article as saying, It was extremely efficient, I was able to bring them down as [fast as] they were able to put them up.13. [65], The Central Intelligence Agency informed Secretary Henry Kissinger that it had twelve reports of Soviet forces using laser weapons against Chinese forces during the 1969 Sino-Soviet border clashes, though William Colby doubted that they had actually been employed. Tracking and imaging of satellites too faint for conventional adaptive optical imaging systems 56 ] Their capability! 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