popularmechanics.co.za 21spreading strips of aluminium foil, known as ‘chaff’, to
confuse a missile guided by radar. A laser would be the first
real ‘active’ anti-missile defence in the world of air combat,
actively trying to shoot down a missile.
As pod-mounted systems, SHiELD and TALWS will
take up a station on a fighter jet typically reserved for
bombs, missiles, or sensor pods. That makes them a bad
fit for stealthy aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor or F-35
Joint Strike Fighter, as the pods will break up the planes’
carefully minimised radar signatures. Instead, lasers
will likely go on non-stealthy fighters such as the US
Air Force’s F-15E, F-15C, and F-15EX Eagle fighters,
F-16 Fighting Falcons, and perhaps even A-10C Warthog
attack jets. Trading the ability to carry one more missile or
bomb for a laser that could shoot down many incoming
missiles is a no-brainer. An R2-D2-type artificial
intelligence could someday control a laser weapon, paired
with existing chaff and flare defences, to defend warplanes
from missile attack.
Lasers will make aerial warfare quicker and deadlier than
ever. The aeroplane’s engine can power the laser, removing
the need for an on-board gun magazine and providing a
theoretically unlimited number of shots. Laser energy
travels at the speed of light, removing ballistics from the
targeting equation and making it impossible to dodge.
However, lasers do have a few downsides. The further
a laser beam travels, the weaker it becomes. And
atmospheric effects, particularly water vapour and smoke
particles, quickly dilute a beam’s strength. Plus, a laser mustMAY / JUNE 2022 21be focused on a fast-moving target long enough to have
an effect. Unlike missiles, whose high-explosive warheads
deliver lots of energy in a single devastating explosion, a
laser projects a steady stream of concentrated light that
heats the target until something fails or explodes. A missile
travelling at ultra-fast speeds could prove a difficult target
upon which to focus a beam.
A laser defence system must pack the ability to detect,
track, and shoot down incoming missiles into a single
pod-mounted package. The laser has to be powerful enough
to fry an incoming missile’s electronics or cause damage
to the skin or control systems, inducing aerodynamic
failure. We don’t yet know the power level of the TALWS
laser, but a Defense News report says it’s in the ‘tens of
kilowatts’. That’s not enough power to make the missile
explode like in the movies, but it can disable the seeker or
burn off the guidance fin of a missile, leaving it incapable
of steering to the target.
Eventually, laser weapons will go on almost all warplanes,
from bombers to aerial tankers, giving them some form
of active protection. As these systems become more
powerful, they’ll become increasingly capable of engaging
larger, more complex targets – like enemy aircraft. Lasers
will also engage ground targets and, some experts predict,
shoot down ballistic missiles shortly after launch.
While it’s important not to sell the airborne laser as the
ultimate do-it-all weapon, it does have a wide array of
theoretical uses. How much of that is actually practical –
and affordable? We’ll find out soon.PH
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1972: THE DESTRUCTION
OF THE DRAGON’S JAW
During the Vietnam War, the US
spent years trying to destroy the
‘Dragon’s Jaw’ bridge, expending
hundreds of tons of bombs and
losing 11 jets to anti-aircraft fire.
Finally, in May 1972, 14 US Air
Force F-4Cs put the bridge out
of action with Paveway bombs,
which homed in on laser energy
that another aircraft pointed at
the bridge.1991: OPERATION
DESERT STORM
The US used its next-gen
Paveway III laser-guided bombs
to attack the Iraqi military from
low level and hit a target within
three metres of the laser-aiming
point. The F-117A stealth fighter
destroyed targets in Baghdad
with Paveways, while F-15E,
F-111, and A-6 bombers smashed
airfields, bunkers, tanks, and other
Iraqi targets.2014: THE FIRST LASER
WEAPON GOES TO SEA
Lasers only ‘painted’ targets for
bombs from miles away until
the Pentagon fitted the USS
Ponce with the AN/SEQ-3 Laser
Weapon System (LaWS). In
low-power mode, the 30 kW
weapon disrupted a target’s
optical sensors. At high power,
it destroyed sensors, sliced
fins off drones, and detonated
a drone’s explosive payload.A BRIEF TIMELINE
OF MILITARY
LASER HISTORY