In 1935, the British Air Ministry asked Robert Watson-Watt of the Radio Research Station whether a "death ray" was possible. The distinction between them is the wavelength/frequency of the energy. [21], A demonstration system was tested at Kirtland Air Force Base in 2000. The U.S. military has developed an Active Denial System that aims microwaves at people to cause pain without injury. 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. Richert Seifert & Co from Hamburg delivered parts. The speed, ultraprecision, and nonlethal capabilities of directed-energy weapons are all good reasons why the United States should continue to research, develop, and, where appropriate, field these technologies. Potential applications of this technology include weapons that target personnel, missiles, vehicles, and optical devices. [21]U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, "Active Denial System," fact sheet, September 2005, at http://www.de.afrl.af.mil/Factsheets/ActiveDenial.swf (March 15, 2006). 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 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. 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. 6 David Stoudt, Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, private communication. For fictional uses, see, "DEW" redirects here. The Sodium Guidestar at the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate's Starfire Optical Range. Directed-energy weapons can be used discreetly; radiation does not generate sound and is invisible if outside the visible spectrum. So hypersonic kinetic interceptors would have to be capable of achieving speeds of Mach 15 and higher. If the microwave energy travels through the targets own antenna, dome, or other sensor opening, then this pathway is commonly referred to as the front door.7 On the other hand, if the microwave emissions travel through cracks, seams, trailing wires, metal conduits, or seals of the target, then this pathway is called the back door.8. HPM weapons lethality is typically described in terms of their ability to deny, degrade, damage or destroy a targets capabilities. Examples of NLFoS weapons include: a 60kW laser called HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) expected to be deployed by 2021 that will be capable of burning through small boats and shooting down drones; the SSLTM (Solid State LaserTechnology Maturation system), which will eventually be a 150kW laser weapon on the LPD27 amphibious ship; and the ODIN (Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy) that will also go on a destroyer.11. 11, Air War College Center for Strategy and Technology, May 2000. Boost glide weapons are launched atop ballistic missiles then released to glide to the target. The countries abandoned particle-beam weapon research as impracticable. 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. Similar in principle to the microwave oven, the weapons produce energies in the megawatt range. 9 Eileen Walling, High Power Microwaves, Strategic and Operational Implications for Warfare, Occasional Paper no. This type of weapon shows great potential as a riot-control device or area-denial system. 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. It turned out that during its three-year deployment, from 201114, it was used nearly around the clock in its ISR mode. Lasers are becoming smaller and more powerful. Lieutenant General Henry Trey Obering, III, USAF (Ret. There are numerous pathways and entry points through which microwave energy can penetrate electronic systems. 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. 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. The SOR's world-class adaptive optics telescope is the second largest telescope in the Department of Defense. 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. Thus, the deny capability is not permanent because the affected systems can be easily restored to their previous operational condition. The kinetic energy imparted by a particle stream destroys the target by heating the target's atoms to the point that the material literally explodes. 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). 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. It stresses the heart, causes insomnia, completely prevents deep sleep, and causes severe muscle aches. When directed at humans, a microwave weapon causes atoms to vibrate, which in turn generates heat. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. PRISM Vol. Directed-Energy Weapons Programs A number of countries are investing in directed-energy weapons programs. In this last factor, the frequency of the laser and the engagement altitude will have a significant impact on how much the atmosphere effects the lasers lethality. Certain types of particle beams have the advantage of being self-focusing in the atmosphere. 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. Similar to the Armys RCCTO and the Navys Accelerated Acquisition (AA) Process, the Air Force is leveraging both Air Force Research Laboratorys DE Directorate and Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office to expedite delivery of capabilities to address key capability gaps identified in the DE flight plan: Forward Base Defense, Precision Strike, and Aircraft Self-Protect. 1 Department of Defense Joint Publication 3-13.1, Electronic Warfare (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2012). A subset of HPM devices can affect the human body. The U.S. Army confirmed in June that it is accelerating efforts to field a directed-energy weapon prototype by 2022. They are well-suited to defending against threats such as missiles and artillery shells, which DEWs can shoot down in mid-flight. The THEL system uses radar to detect and track incoming targets. This revolution changed the nature of warfare: not just tactics, but also the usefulness of armor, castles, and then-popular weapons. One of the greatest attributes of directed energy weapons is that they operate at the speed of light. European Parliament [citation needed]. For example, the static and distortion that high voltage power lines have on a car radio causes no lasting damage to the radio after the car leaves the area. Another power source, well-suited to one-time use in an e-bomb, is the Explosively Pumped Flux Compression Generator (EPFCG). [18]Carlo Kopp, "The Electromagnetic Bomb-A Weapon of Electrical Mass Destruction," at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1996/apjemp.htm (March 15, 2006). "'[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. While DEWs are not a panacea, the armed services should fully support research and development of these useful technologies. [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. [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. For other uses, see, Northern Ireland "squawk box" field trials. 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. "laser.". The SOR's world-class adaptive optics telescope is the second largest telescope in the Department of Defense. DEW technology is changing faster than international laws and treaties can adapt. [19]GlobalSecurity.org, "High Power Microwave (HPM)/E-Bomb," at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/hpm.htm (March 15, 2006). The MDT is a fixed grid of passive infrared (IR) cameras. [14], 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. A methane gas combustion chamber leading to two parabolic dishes pulse-detonated at roughly 44 Hz. [18], Paired with a microwave generator, an EPFCG could produce an ultrashort, intense microwave burst. Like lasers, HPM weapons can operate in a pulsed or continuous manner and are classified using peak or average power respectively. The Beacon Illuminator Laser system, which measures and corrects for atmospheric distortion, has also been shipped to Boeing for testing. Particle beams would have tremendous power as weapons. DEW technology is changing faster than international laws and treaties can adapt. National Defense University 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. But the fact that the. Among the directed-energy weapons the Nazis investigated were X-ray beam weapons developed under Heinz Schmellenmeier, Richard Gans and Fritz Houtermans. [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. 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. First, the choice of a lasers wavelength can help to mitigate the affect because different laser wavelengths perform much better in the atmosphere than others. However, the Army felt the fixed-base laser system was too large and cut funding for the program after the demonstration phase. The sensation increases in intensity until the affected individual moves out of the beam or it is shut off. Laser dazzlers-devices that use laser light to temporarily blind sensors, optics, and personnel- are already available for law enforcement and military use. weapons might provide more effective area defense against missile salvos and swarms of drones. 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. As the Pentagon addresses these issues, it should do so in the same way that it would for any other category of weapon that it has reviewed. 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. This laser uses rings of magnetically confined electrons whirling at the speed of light to produce laser beams that can be tuned up and down the electromagnetic spectrum from microwaves to ultraviolet light. In August 2004, the THEL system shot down multiple mortar rounds during testing. While directed-energy research is advancing, inadequate funding is hindering more rapid development and deployment of these technologies. On August 24, 2004, the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) system destroyed a salvo of mortar rounds in midair during a test. 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. DE warfare is military action involving the use of DE weapons, devices, and countermeasures to either cause direct damage or destruction of adversary equipment, facilities, and personnel, or to determine, exploit, reduce, or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) through damage, destruction, and disruption, 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. One such alternative method was called decomposition (transl. The military has rhetorically embraced the wonders of DEWs, but it has not always opened its wallet to fund the technologies. Does the mere use of a weapon that can cause permanent blindness constitute inflicting undue suffering? [63], During the early 1940s Axis engineers developed a sonic cannon that could cause fatal vibrations in its target body. [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). 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. While the development costs of directed energy systems can be high, there are several factors in play which can reduce these costs or at least provide better return on the investment over the life cycle. [56] Their weapons capability has been controversially used in the USA to disrupt numerous protests. As with all new weapons, the DOD General Counsel reviews each DEW for compliance with international and U.S. laws before the Pentagon is allowed to field it. In the weapons version, the microwave energy effects or lethality depends on the power and range to target, but the energy beams tend to be larger and not as sensitive to jitter as is the case for the high energy lasers. [8]"Mobile/Tactical High Energy Laser (M-THEL) Technology Demonstration Program.". What exactly is a directed energy weapon? The scanning array projects microwaves that disrupt the surface-to-air missile's guidance system, deflecting it from the aircraft. [88], Media related to Directed-energy weapons at Wikimedia Commons, This article is about real uses of directed energy weapons. . The Sodium Guidestar at the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate's Starfire Optical Range. 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. More importantly, peer and near-peer nations are developing these weapons at an alarming rate. [10], Once tracked by the TILL, the BILL measures the atmospheric distortion between the COIL and the missile. [82], LRADs are often fitted on commercial and military ships. Russia has reportedly been using blinding laser weapons during its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. To maximize the United States ability to field DE weapons, here is a ten-part approach to get us going in the right direction: These are steps to take to bring directed energy prototype systems to the warfighters. ", "Navy's new laser weapon: Hype or reality? But by far, the most ambitious program underway in DOD is being led by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Directed energy weapons are no longer just science fiction. The electrical shock is enough to stun personnel, detonate improvised explosive devices, or destroy electronic equipment. In early versions of laser weapons, the light was generated by chemical reactions. But with laser weapons, instead of thinking in terms of a laser pointer, the mental image should be more like a powerful, long-range blowtorch! -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. In practice, the weapon was highly vulnerable to enemy fire. 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. [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]. These photons are all at the same wavelength and are coherent, meaning the crests and troughs of the light waves are all in lockstep. Directed energy weapon could be responsible for auditory hallucinations, brain injuries. 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. [83] A few years later, the cruise liner Spirit of Adventure also defended itself from Somali pirates by using its LRAD to force them to retreat. 00:38. Like lasers, particle beams travel at the speed of light, but unlike lasers, the particles in a particle beam have mass, giving the beam tremendous kinetic energy. [2], During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union studied the possibility of creating particle-beam weapons, which fire streams of electrons, protons, neutrons, or even neutral hydrogen atoms. The Defense Department is developing directed energy weapons high-powered lasers and microwaves in concert with industry in a way designed to achieve optimal outcomes. Millimeter waveband energy can penetrate human skin to a very shallow depth, heating the tissue below. As another example, high energy lasers could be used to protect forward-deployed troops and bases from attacks by swarms of unmanned aircraft carrying explosive devices. U.S. Air Force The U.S. military has developed a directed energy technology. Andrew Gudgel. Design specifications are already being determined. The mysterious neurological symptoms experienced by American diplomats in China and Cuba are consistent with the effects of directed microwave energy, according to a long-awaited report by the. Uses radar to detect and track incoming targets cause fatal vibrations in target. Or it is accelerating efforts to field a directed-energy weapon prototype by 2022 to be capable of achieving of! 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