Turning to the air, the United States spent billions of dollars to develop and deploy stealth technology for its fighters and bombers to avoid radar detection and being targeted by surface to air missiles. The Russian Stupor is reported to have a range of two kilometers, covering a 20-degree sector; it also suppresses the drone's cameras. and [39] It was announced by Raytheon in 2005, and the effectiveness of its waveforms was reported to have been demonstrated in field tests to be highly effective in defeating MANPADS missiles.[40]. 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. They hurt and kill with electromagnetic power. It suggested that lasers, perhaps space-based X-ray lasers, could destroy ICBMs in flight. Laser beams also lose energy through absorption or scattering if fired through dust, smoke, or rain. DEW technology is changing faster than international laws and treaties can adapt. Magnus Karlsson (2009). They have strong physical and psychological effects and can be used for military and terrorist activities. One of the most promising laser devices is the free-electron laser. [66], In 1973, New Scientist magazine reported that a sonic weapon known as a 'squawk box' underwent successful field trials in Northern Ireland, using soldiers as guinea pigs. In the later phases of World War II, Nazi Germany increasingly put its hopes on research into technologically revolutionary secret weapons, the Wunderwaffe. They were seen as tools for destroying ICBMs and drones, or for dispersing rioters. [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. The Air Force also recently demonstrated the ability of an HPM weapon to bring down multiple drones in testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, according to a recent Military.com article: After decades of research and investment, we believe these advanced directed-energy applications will soon be ready for the battlefield to help protect people, assets and infrastructure. Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president, said in a news release accompanying the announcement. They are well-suited to defending against threats such as missiles and artillery shells, which DEWs can shoot down in mid-flight. DEW technology and its enabling infrastructure have matured to the point that DEWs can begin moving from the lab to the battlefield. However, the Army felt the fixed-base laser system was too large and cut funding for the program after the demonstration phase. We proved that the technology could be effective, but its size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements made the laser weapons impracticable to field. The MARAUDER (Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed-Energy and Radiation) used the Shiva Star project (a high energy capacitor bank which provided the means to test weapons and other devices requiring brief and extremely large amounts of energy) to accelerate a toroid of plasma at a significant percentage of the speed of light. They are also used on ships as an anti-piracy measure. Laser dazzlers-devices that use laser light to temporarily blind sensors, optics, and personnel- are already available for law enforcement and military use. ", "Iran starts producing laser weapons for air defense", "Iran achieves Laser Weapon System's deflection technology", "Iran is Producing Laser Air Defense System", "Turkey's laser weapon ARMOL passes acceptance tests", "Janes | Latest defence and security news", "Turkey's laser gun passes acceptance tests", "Is Turkey the first country to shoot down a drone with a laser? 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. The Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) is an acoustic hailing device developed by Genasys (formerly LRAD Corporation) to send messages and warning tones over longer distances or at higher volume than normal loudspeakers, and as a non-lethal directed-acoustic-energy weapon. Development of the THEL began in 1996 as a joint program between the United States and Israel to develop a laser system capable of shooting down Katyusha rockets, artillery, and mortar shells. [82], LRADs are often fitted on commercial and military ships. 11, Air War College Center for Strategy and Technology, May 2000. [88], Media related to Directed-energy weapons at Wikimedia Commons, This article is about real uses of directed energy weapons. Raytheon had marketed a reduced-range version of this technology. [55] The power of the sound beam which LRADs produce is sufficient to penetrate vehicles and buildings while retaining a high degree of fidelity, so that verbal messages can be conveyed clearly in some situations. According to a legend, Archimedes created a mirror with an adjustable focal length (or more likely, a series of mirrors focused on a common point) to focus sunlight on ships of the Roman fleet as they invaded Syracuse, setting them on fire. Because the laser energy travels at the speed of light, lasers are particularly well-suited for use against moving targets such as rockets, missiles, and artillery projectiles. Laser energy can be generated as a continuous wave or in pulses, which also influences its lethality. The Symptoms of Being Attacked by Directed Energy Weapons DEW symptoms: Causes headaches, intense psychological and physiological stress in that you can feel all your insides. The article states: 'The squawk box is highly directional which gives it its appeal. However, directed-energy weapons (DEWs) are a reality, and several have already been tested under battlefield conditions. from PrayingMedic: Q NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 VIDEO: [58] The hosts of MythBusters tackled the Mirrors of Archimedes three times (in episodes 19, 57 and 172) and were never able to make the target ship catch fire, declaring the myth busted three separate times. For example, when deployed, the anti-ballistic missile Airborne Laser will cost approximately $1,000 per shot,[5] while each Patriot missile currently costs $2 million to $3 million. These waves penetrate only a few millimeters into the skin and cause the sensation of heat. 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 . 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. A composite image of a satellite firing an energy weapon at a target on Earth. Lasers are becoming smaller and more powerful. [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. In an effort to avoid such condemnation the state security service, the Stasi, attempted alternative methods of repression which could paralyze people without keeping them in a physical prison. The Pentagon believes that DEWs are legal under international law, but human rights groups are arguing that DEWs could be used inhumanely. For example, when deployed, the anti-ballistic missile Airborne Laser will cost approximately $1,000 per shot. Some common bio-effects of non-lethal electromagnetic weapons include: Interference with breathing poses the most significant, potentially lethal results. A high-voltage electrical charge is then fed into one of the laser beams, striking the target. [38] The device comes in various sizes, including attached to a Humvee. On August 24, 2004, the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) system destroyed a salvo of mortar rounds in midair during a test. Boeing has received a C-130H transport aircraft from the Air Force and is modifying it for installation of the laser system. In 1995, the Chinese military marketed the ZM-87 laser interference device, a tripod-mounted battlefield laser dazzler designed to blind enemy soldiers and optics temporarily. This sound, magnified by the dish reflectors, caused vertigo and nausea at 200400 meters (220440yd) by vibrating the middle ear bones and shaking the cochlear fluid within the inner ear. Today, Directed Energy weapons are being developed by the US and its adversaries for land, sea, and air and space applications. 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. Furthermore, the power of lasers and microwave weapons has decreased, allowing for nonlethal uses. Future research will seek to increase the power and decrease the size of DEW systems. But there is a rule of thumb that states that an interceptor needs to be capable of three times the speed of the target it is defending against to be able to maneuver to destroy it. 3. [48] In 1995, the Chinese military marketed the ZM-87 laser interference device, a tripod-mounted battlefield laser dazzler designed to blind enemy soldiers and optics temporarily. A methane gas combustion chamber leading to two parabolic dishes pulse-detonated at roughly 44 Hz. Light is, for practical purposes, unaffected by, Lasers travel at light-speed and have long range, making them suitable for use in. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. Directed energy weapons, also known by the brand name Active Denial System, are a new technology developed by the U.S. military. A directed-energy weapon ( DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams. For example, in 2005 the cruise liner Seabourn Spirit used a sonic weapon to defend itself from Somali pirates in the Indian ocean. For ex. [59][60] He and colleague Arnold Wilkins quickly concluded that it was not feasible, but as a consequence suggested using radio for the detection of aircraft and this started the development of radar in Britain. "laser.". The THEL system uses radar to detect and track incoming targets. A mechanized unit advancing through a town, protected by an anti-artillery and anti-missile laser shield, clearing the surrounding buildings of snipers and enemy troops with an active denial system, and using electrolasers to stun them before taking them prisoner, all while using HPM weapons to render the enemy's communications useless, would be a powerful military unit indeed. So how close are they to becoming weaponized? and also Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Symptoms of extremely high and extremely low EMFs and Directed Energy Weapons or (DEW) Please keep in mind that not all symptoms are experienced in an exact order - you may experience the worst symptoms first - or the least of the symptoms in a later stage. 3 How a Fiber Laser Works, SPI Lasers International website, available at . Lasers produce either continuous beams or short, intense pulses of light in every spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet. ), is an Executive Vice President and Directed Energy Lead at Booz Allen Hamilton and the former Director of the Missile Defense Agency. Particle-beam weapons can use charged or neutral particles, and can be either endoatmospheric or exoatmospheric. [71] The negative effects of the radiation poisoning and cancer would extend past the period of incarceration. Today, solid state electrical (including fiber) and hybrid lasers are being developed that are much lighter and smaller. -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. Authors: However, considerable work still needs to be done before they can be deployed. However, the wide variety of missions, platforms, and implementation environments necessitates continued service-differentiated development activities. The deuterium fluoride chemical laser fires, hitting the rocket or shell and causing it to explode far short of its intended target. HPM weapon technology is based on the same technology as radar devices, which already have a long history of research and development. This concentrated energy can have effects across the entire spectrum from non-lethal to lethal. When a laser beam strikes a target, the energy from the photons in the beam heats the target to the point of combustion or melting. 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. [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. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Directed-energy_weapon&oldid=1140806805. Havana syndrome is a set of medical symptoms reported by US personnel in Havana, Cuba and other locations, suspected by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to be caused by microwave energy. DEW technology is changing faster than international laws and treaties can adapt. - The Navy continues to learn more about a pair of directed energy weapons, as the service installs the fourth and fifth dazzler system this year and begins land-based testing of . Informally, the weapon is also called the heat ray since it works by heating the surface of targets, such as the skin of targeted human beings. The system consists of a missile-detecting and tracking subsystem (MDT), a command and control system, and a scanning array. In addition to being able to scale effects on a target, directed energy weapons have inherent attributes that are attractive to the warfighter. However, no military has yet openly deployed HPM weapons. 1 (January 1996), at http://www.afa.org/magazine/jan1996/0196airbo.asp (March 15, 2006). Much work needs to be done before DEWs are deployed. Both the Allies and the Axis powers conducted basic research and studies into primitive directed-energy weapons before World War II. This type of weapon shows great potential as a riot-control device or area-denial system. 1 Directed Energy Weapons. 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. This information is then transferred to an optical tracking system, which refines the target tracking and positions the beam director. 2 According to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. General DOD policy is that directed-energy weapons can be used legitimately on the battlefield. "[75], In the 1980s, U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program, which was nicknamed Star Wars. 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. Colonel Craig Hughes, Office of Force Transformation, U.S. Department of Defense, "Re-directed Energy: the Tactical Relay Mirror System," presentation at The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., February 13, 2006. HPM weapons lethality is typically described in terms of their ability to deny, degrade, damage or destroy a targets capabilities. The full system will be fitted to the aircraft by 2007 and test-fired against ground targets. A DE weapon is a system using DE primarily as a direct means to The system consists of several modules: an infrared detection system to detect the missile's launch; the Tracking Illumination Laser (TILL); the Beacon Illuminator Laser (BILL); and the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL). "'[68][69], In East Germany in the 1960s, many people were arrested and interrogated for holding politically incorrect views or for performing actions deemed hostile by the ruling socialist state. 019, available at < https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Interactive/2018/11-2019-Missile-Defense-Review/The%202019%20MDR_Executive%20Summary.pdf>. It turned out that during its three-year deployment, from 201114, it was used nearly around the clock in its ISR mode. So, for a hypersonic weapon that is travelling at 25 times the speed of sound, a high- energy laser can engage it at roughly 35,000 times its speed. This produces a burning pain without actually damaging the tissue. 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. Improvements in energy-generating systems may also make particle-beam weapons feasible. The air-launched uses scramjets or rockets to power it throughout flight. However, because beam strength degrades rapidly as the particles react with the atoms in the atmosphere, it requires an enormous power plant to generate a weapons-grade beam. 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. Depending on several operational factors, directed-energy weapons may be cheaper to operate than conventional weapons in certain contexts. The power levels are driven by prime power generation limitations, and ERPs depend on the antenna design and aperture (i.e., size).6, Almost everyone has probably experienced the lethality of a microwave device when they inadvertently put a metal object into a kitchen microwave oven and watched the sparks fly. This same energy can be applied at higher powers for weapon effects. In early versions of laser weapons, the light was generated by chemical reactions. This produces a burning pain without actually damaging the tissue. Research was also conducted on a mobile version of the THEL called the MTEL. "Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program," Defense Update, at http://www.defense-update.com/directory/THEL.htm (March 10, 2006). The word laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Semiconductors and modern electronics are particularly susceptible to HPM attacks. One shortcoming of laser weapons is that their beams travel only in straight lines, which means they have no indirect-fire mode and cannot shoot beyond the system's visual horizon. 10 Department of Defense, The National Defense Strategy 2018 (Washington D.C.: Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2018). low-cost per shot compared to traditional munitions. [11], The megawatt-class laser was tested at full power in early 2006. 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 page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 22:00. In this case, the laser weapon system would sense the atmospheric conditions to the target, then using fast steering mirrors, it would deform the main laser beam as it leaves the weapon to use the atmosphere to the target much like the lens of a pair of glasses to refocus the beam on the target. 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. The distinction between them is the wavelength/frequency of the energy. The Ukrainian army are reported to use the Ukrainian KVS G-6, with a 3.5km range and able to operate continuously for 30 minutes. PRISM. The Armys Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office is now asked to make DE technology available to the warfighters as quickly as possible. Light and repetitive visual signals can induce epileptic seizures. High-power microwave (HPM) weapons work by producing either beams or short bursts of high-frequency radio energy. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. First up is the Multi-Mission High Energy Laser, a 50-killowatt retrofit to a modified Stryker vehicle, which is expected to be operational in 2023. 15-31. It is relatively close to deployment. On land, this includes base defense, where DE can provide a deep magazine, long-range engagement, and low cost-per-shot against proliferated threats. The power output necessary for a weapons-grade laser ranges from 10 kilowatts to 1 megawatt. While directed-energy research is advancing, inadequate funding is hindering more rapid development and deployment of these technologies. In most cases, the target system must be shut off and restarted, and may require minor repairs before it can operate normally again. What are Directed Energy Weapons? However, these lasers were generally large and heavy. The U.S. military has developed an Active Denial System that aims microwaves at people to cause pain without injury. (It had little detectable effect on malleable organs such as the heart, stomach and intestines.) Finally, the concept of destroy involves the ability to inflict catastrophic and permanent injury on the enemy functions and systems. They are not the answer to all the challenges, and will not replace kinetic weapons, but they are an essential adjunct to countering specific threats and providing dominance in land, air, sea, and space. [1][2] In the United States, the Pentagon, DARPA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, United States Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Center, and the Naval Research Laboratory are researching directed-energy weapons to counter ballistic missiles, hypersonic cruise missiles, and hypersonic glide vehicles. Laser dazzlers-devices that use laser light to temporarily blind sensors, optics, and personnel- are already available for law enforcement and military use. In this manner someone could be debilitated even though they were no longer imprisoned. 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 Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military, designed for area denial, perimeter security and crowd control. The system consists of several modules: an infrared detection system to detect the missile's launch; the Tracking Illumination Laser (TILL); the Beacon Illuminator Laser (BILL); and the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL). [8]"Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program.". Because they were invented several decades ago, lasers are the most mature of the DEW technologies. 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 addition, the cost per shot of a directed energy weapons could be orders of magnitude less expensive than current kinetic weapons. [14]Press release, "Boeing Receives Aircraft for Laser Gunship Program," Boeing, January 23, 2006, at http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2006/q1/060123a_nr.html (March 15, 2006). 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. 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. [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). Moreover, cheap countermeasures can be applied to existing missiles. In this case, the enemy would be required to totally replace entire systems, facilities, and hardware if it was to regain any degree of operational status.9. In the 1951 science fiction film, The Day the Earth Stood Still, powerful ray guns are shown vaporizing rifles and even tanks. The first step in this endeavor is underway with funding for laser scaling and beam quality improvements for both combined fiber lasers as well as hybrid lasers such as the diode pumped alkali laser or DPALS. They are not "weapons of mass destruction," but they have the potential to . and directed energy weapons exist in the medical profession and in society at large. 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. On 10 October 1984 (STS-41-G), the Terra-3 tracking laser was allegedly aimed at Challenger as it passed over the facility. However, no military has yet openly deployed HPM weapons. Are these weapons still science fiction, lab experiments, or are they real? A year later, testing showed that the ADS could produce effects at ranges beyond current small-arms range. '[67] The British Ministry of Defence denied the existence of such a device. The manufacturer states that the weapon can disrupt remote control, the transmission of video at 2.4 and 5 GHz, and GPS and Glonass satellite navigation signals. Because of its coherence, laser light can stay concentrated for very long distanceseven thousands of miles into space. [49] The number of "shots" a laser weapon can produce is limited only by its power supply. 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. 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. [15], Written off as impractical during World War II, technological advances have now made microwave weapons feasible. Neither should we. While DEWs are not the solution to all combat situations, these technologies would provide the U.S. military with additional flexibility in tailoring its response to different types of threats. DE weapons include high-energy lasers, high-power radio frequency or microwave devices, and charged or neutral particle beam weapons.2 Microwaves and lasers are both part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes light energy and radio waves. Such arrests, which could also involve direct physical torture, were condemned internationally. Once tracked by the TILL, the BILL measures the atmospheric distortion between the COIL and the missile. Washington, DC 20319-5066. Building on the Armys DE efforts during the past 5 to 7 years, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) is committed to fielding 50kW lasers on four Strykers (eight wheeled armored fighting vehicles), delivering a residual combat capability at the Platoon level as part of the M-SHORAD mission in support of a Brigade Combat Team. The Beacon Illuminator Laser system, which measures and corrects for atmospheric distortion, has also been shipped to Boeing for testing. Particle beams as beam weapons are theoretically possible, but practical weapons have not been demonstrated yet. The U.S. Army confirmed in June that it is accelerating efforts to field a directed-energy weapon prototype by 2022. 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