LASER WEAPONS

Name: Gaurav Course: AISST Roll no: 05 Enrollment no: A4717211001

Index
1. Introduction a. What is a laser? b. Maser (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) c. Laser developments over the past years 2 Laser weapons a. Direct energy weapon(DEW) b. Laser beams c. Increasing laser power 3. Weaponry system a. Laser application in defense b. Anti-defense system c. Laser proximity fuse d) Laser Guns 4. Status of laser development in India a. Upcoming projects and plans by DRDO b. Need to Develop Laser Technology in India

Chapter 1

Introduction to Laser

Lasers are one of the most significant inventions developed during the20th century. Lasers have found tremendous applications in electronics, computer hardware, medicine, and experimental science. The acronym laser stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." Lasers work as a result of resonant effects. The output of a laser is a coherent electromagnetic field. In a coherent beam of electromagnetic energy, all the waves have the same frequency and phase. The light from a laser contains exactly one color or wavelength rather than a lot of different wavelengths and is "monochromatic" in nature. All the wavelengths are in phase. That is, they are all "waving" together, like a well-timed audience "wave" at a football game. The entire wave crests (high points) and troughs (low points) are lined up. In other words, the laser light is "coherent."While light waves from ordinary sources (such as flashlights, light bulbs, or the Sun) spread out in all directions laser light waves all travel in the same direction, exactly parallel to one another. This means that laser light beams are very narrow and can be concentrated on one tiny spot. In scientific terms, the laser light is "collimated." The general components of a simple laser are shown in figure below.

In

1954,

Charles

Townes

and

Arthur

Schawlow

invented

the maser

(microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation), using ammonia gas and microwave radiation - the maser was invented before the (optical) laser. The technology is very close but does not use a visible light. As shown in figure 2, the concept of Laser consists of an excited state atom encountering a photon of the same energy that corresponds to the DE between the excited and ground states of the atom. When such a photon is encountered, it causes the emission of another photon of the same energy. Albert Einstein first suggested this phenomenon in a 1916 paper proving Plank's law of radiation. The idea, however, was considered odd and the event of photon interaction with an excited state atom rare. Only much later did scientists begin to create inverted populations with more atoms in the excited state than the ground state so that absorption would not dominate the process and stimulated emission could occur. Some further laser developments were as follows:

Use of chemical reactions instead of electric currents to generate a lasing effect. Use of rapid cooling through expansion to cause excitation, using dyes as a medium to
tune the laser across a range of wavelengths.

Use of p-n junctions in semiconductors or a free electron medium to create lasing

effects. In simple laser cavities, one mirror has a small transparent area that lets the laser beam out. In semiconductor lasers, both mirrors often transmit a beam, the second one being used for monitoring purposes.

Figure 2

The average powers of a Laser for use in various technologies are shown in table 1.

Power

Use

15 mW Laser pointers

5 mW CD-ROM drive

510 mW DVD player or DVD-ROM drive

100 mW High-speed CD-RW burner

250 mW Consumer 16x DVD-R burner

Burning through a jewel case including disk within 4 seconds 400 mW DVD 24x dual-layer recording.

1 W Green laser in current Holographic Versatile Disc prototype development

120 W Output of the majority of commercially available solid-state lasers used for micro machining

30100 W Typical sealed CO2 surgical lasers

1003000 W Typical sealed CO2 lasers used in industrial laser cutting

5 kW Output power achieved by a 1 cm diode laser bar

100 kW Claimed output of a CO2 laser being developed for military (weapon) applications

Carbon Dioxide Laser

The carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser) was one of the earliest gas lasers to be developed (invented by Kumar Patelof Bell Labs in 1964, and is still one of the most useful technology. Carbon dioxide lasers are the highest-power continuous wave lasers that are currently available. They are also quite efficient: the ratio of output power to pump power can be as large as 20%. The CO2 laser produces a beam of infrared light with the principal wavelength bands centering around 9.4 and 10.6 micrometers.

Chapter 2

LASER WEAPONS

DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON (DEW)

A directed-energy weapon (DEW) or laser weapon emits energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. It transfers energy to a target for a desired effect. Intended effects may be non-lethal or lethal. Some such weapons are real, or are under active research and development. Electronic Warfare includes any military action involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or attack an enemy. Electronic warfare comprises of three major subdivisions: Electronic Attackuse of electromagnetic or directed energy to attack personnel, facilities, or equipment with the intent of degrading, neutralizing, or destroying enemy combat capability. The air force research laboratories are conducting research in a wide variety of Laser weapon technologies. An illustration is shown in figure 3. Electronic Supportactions taken by, or under direct control of, an operational commander to search for, intercept, identify, and locate. Electronic Protectionactions taken to protect personnel, facilities, or equipment for any effects of friendly or enemy employment of electronic warfare that degrade, neutralize, or destroy friendly combat capability. Direct energy weapons are making world-changing, revolutionary advances from fighting wars to battling terrorism. Its happening so fast that its the military equivalent of a military future shock as stated by Colonel Doug Beason. The EMP [electromagnetic

Figure 3. A laser fires from space in this artistic rendering

Pulse] concept has been extended through the development of devices that generate EMP pulses without the need for nuclear explosions. A derivative of this program is HPM (high-power pulsed microwave), a system producing intense, extremely short pulses of microwave. Several types, ranging in frequency from 1200 MHz to 35 GHz with powers up to 1000 megawatts, are being tested. These are also considered for potential use as weapons against human beings. Microwave energy in the range 1 to 5 GHz, a military important range, penetrates all organ systems of the body and thus puts all organ systems at risk. The goal is to develop, produce and direct energy weapons, enabling war fighters to put energy on target at the speed of light. Taking directed energy technology to a weapon system implies transitioning this technology from the laboratory to a production weapon system. DEW systems will proliferate across all spectrums of

military utility. High-energy lasers are today being put on tanks and land vehicles, which are designed to shoot down enemy Scud missiles in their boost phase of flight (figure 4). Electronic warfare and directed warfare are leading technologies for solving Army problems in scenarios where non-lethal (i.e., no permanent injury) or less than lethal (i.e., could suffer serious injury) force is required.

Figure 4. Comparison of EW Jammer and RF-DEW Power Relationship

Laser beams are famously employed as weapon systems in science fiction, but actual laser weapons are still in the experimental stage. The general idea of laser-beam weaponry is to hit a target with a train of brief pulses of light. The rapid evaporation and expansion of the surface causes shockwaves that damage the target. The power needed to project a high-powered laser beam of this kind is beyond the limit of current mobile power technology thus favoring chemically powered gas dynamic lasers. Lasers and other directed-energy weapons have many advantages over conventional projectile weapons like bullets and missiles:

The weapons' light outputs can travel at the velocity of light. The weapons can be precisely targeted. Their energy output can be controlled -- high-power for lethal outcomes or cutting and low-power for nonlethal outcome

Increasing the Laser Power

In an ordinary laser system the laser rod is kept between the reflecting mirrors, with the xenon flash tube providing the energy for pumping; the stored energy is released in short intervals into bursts of a laser beam. In laser weapons, the amount of energy stored is much more, which is achieved by interposing a fast acting shutter in duration between one end of the laser rod and the partially reflecting mirror. The shutter does not allow the laser radiation to be released for a predetermined time. After sufficient energy is stored in the energy level, the shutter is opened for a very short interval of about a nanosecond (one-billionth of a second) and all the stored energy is released as one giant pulse. This technique can be compared to a river dam where the lifting of a sluice gate releases water in a gush.

Chapter 3

Weaponry systems

Laser Applications in Defense

To knock down an enemy tank, it is necessary to range it very accurately. Because of its high intensity and very low divergence even after travelling quite a few kilometers, laser is ideally suited for this purpose. The laser range finders using neodymium and carbon dioxide lasers have become a standard item for artillery and tanks. These laser range finders are light weight and have higher reliability and superior range accuracy as compared to the conventional range finders. The laser range finders of medium range (up to 10 km) are used in several Defence areas, including: Tank laser range finder for artillery, an armoured vehicle, or a truck. Portable laser range finders used in the field artillery fire control systems. These are intended for field application in conjunction with artillery fire control systems

Airborne laser range finder is pod-mounted and servo-positioned for the Air Force. In any airborne weapon system, the laser range finder combines the characteristic features of a laser with gyroscope stabilization to provide an equipment which is more accurate and has a faster response than any other means of deriving air-to-surface or air- to-air range. At the same time, it is more compact than any radar. The laser at the nose is capable of destroying 4000 miles per hour. The sensors on board detect the incoming ballistic missiles track it, compensate for atmospheric differences and destroys it with high energy waves. It takes less than 2 minutes to take down a missile with a range of 1000 of miles.

Figure 5

The laser walkie-talkie range finder, a compact small instrument, weighing less than 4 kg, useful to range objects at distances less than 5 km. This range finder uses the semiconductor diode laser in emitting short duration pulses. With this, it is possible to which transmit and receive audio/visual communications, or pinpoint targets with a hand-held laser, even from unsteady environment in a helicopter or on a ship being tossed around by the rolling seas. There are no separate tripods, unwieldy power packs, or other external accessories. It gives an immediate readout of distance and elevation right on the instrument. .

Standof

Detection

of

Explosives

The proposed system is designed on the basis of Resonant Raman Scattering (RRS) of explosive molecules (in the form of vapor/aerosols) which are available around concealed

explosives/IEDs. In this system, a compact UV laser will be used as the excitation source. A CCD/ ICCD coupled minispectrometer will be used for the detection of red-shifted Stokes Raman signals. Different explosives are identified on the basis of Raman shifts which are unique for particular compound. The system will have inbuilt software for automatic analysis of the spectra and identification of the threats by comparing with the stored spectral database of the explosives.

Crowd

Control

Dazzler

It is propose to mount scanning laser dazzling system on a military vehicle for a wide-scale crowd control. The system would be engineered to fit on the vehicle and attended to by a crew of at least two personnel--one to aim and operate the weapon, and the other to monitor its systems via laptop.

Air

Defence

Long

Range

Dazzler

Exposure to a strong laser light source results in flash blindness and afterimages. In flash blindness, exposure to a very bright light source deprives pilot of vision for a period of time ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. Also the laser illumination filled the flight deck with a bright light, thus makes it difficult to concentrate on the flight instruments as well and adversely affects pilots intended actions. The development of long range dazzling system finds application against rogue airplanes venturing in no fly zone for protection of critical infrastructures.

Vehicle Explosives

Mounted

Ordnance

Disposal

of

The System is specifically developed for neutralisation of explosive devices from safe stand-off distances by focusing laser energy on the munitions casing thereby heating it until the explosive filler ignites and start.

Anti-Missile Defense System

In an antimissile defense system, laser is used to dispose the energy of warhead, not by vaporizing or melting it, but by partially damaging the missile, say by drilling a hole. Tremendous energy is required to completely burn the missile, which is not practicable. If a guided vane of a missile is fractured, several vibrations will be developed in the airframe thereby disintegrating major sensitive portion of the missile. Two types of antimissile defense systems have been visualized. One such system, laser kill system is completely earthbound here; early warning microwave radar gives a rough position of the approaching missile. Then a lidar aligned to the target by the tracking radar gives the precise position of the missile. This data is fed on to another high intensity laser beam which actually does the killing. To exploit the laser's killing capability, a high speed servo system and a complex focusing system are essential. A schematic diagram is shown in figure 6

Figure 6 The other anti-missile defense system is the orbiting space station, equipped with detecting, tracking and killing laser devices. An infrared homing system on the laser weapon is used to close on an enemy vehicle and then fire a high energy laser beam. Firing by laser weapons would not change the positional or altitude stability of the space station. It is predicted that the lasers would ultimately make inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM's) obsolete.

Laser Proximity Fuze

The proximity fuze, developed in the US using a solid-state laser, detonates the missile warhead when it comes within the range of its target. The higher maneuverability of the missile is expected to improve its performance a great deal in close in aerial combat. It is also claimed that the proximity fuze and the warhead will enable the missile to destroy its target without hitting it directly. The image shown in figure 7 depicts a solid-state vehicle

mounted laser that could defeat incoming missiles and artillery fire. Directed energy weapons are also at the forefront of precision strike.

Figure 7

Laser Guns
For decades, the Army has tried -- and essentially failed -- to develop alternative weapons that target threats before they can reach ground troops. One earlier technology was called the Trophy Active Protection System, which in concept would have fired a shotgun-like blast of pellets at incoming rocket-propelled grenades and antitank missiles. Dissipating the heat laser beams generate is one problem the military has faced in its efforts to weaponise lasers, which new, proprietary technology is overcoming. The technology consists of a laser, a power source and a command and control element. Development of an effective power source -- something that could generate enough energy to destroy incoming projectiles -- has been another key advancement. At the most fundamental level, laser weapons are based on the concept of delivering a large amount of stored

energy from the weapon to the target, thus producing structural and incendiary damage effects. A directed energy weapon delivers its effect at the speed of light, rather than supersonic or subsonic speeds typical of projectile weapons. The lasers basically obliterate their targets.

One of its kind laser gun developed by an American company in 1962

The laser rifle.that was developed by an American company and presented for the first time in 1962 was one of its kind that was lighter than the infantry rifle used by soldiers. 10 Kg baggage in form of batteries make impossible to shoot 10,000 times. The in the target is quite small. Only if the enemy coincidentally looks into the muzzle of the laser rifle hell have serious eye damage even at a distance of 1.5km as a result of strong dazzling.

CHAPTER 4

Status of Laser Development in India

India's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have developed a laser-based weapon that will impair vision temporarily to control unruly crowds such as Kashmirs stonethrowing mobs. The non-lethal military gadget would be supplied to para-military forces in Jammu and Kashmir within three months, a senior DRDO official said. When turned on, the gadget, called laser dazzler, sends out radiation to immobilize individuals or crowds without causing permanent injury. The green rays can throw a wave of agony nearly 250 meters away. A.K .Maini, who heads the DRDOs Laser Science and Technology Centre, told HT hand-held laser dazzlers with a range of 50 meters would be supplied to paramilitary forces by October for feedback on performance.

Figure 8. Anti-missile system that locates, tracks, intercepts, and destroys incoming missiles using high energy laser beam from land.

A vehicle-mounted weapon system for engaging mobs at nearly 250 meters would be ready by the end of next year. What makes the laser effective is that it doesnt have to be aimed and shot, it moves like a large circle with a spread of almost 20 meters. It will allow security forces to disperse crowds without inflicting life-threatening injury. Maini said the system was different

from Western gadgets that employed millimeter wave technology to repel crowds by targeting different parts of the body. He explained, Its not a stun gun. The laser dazzler targets only the eyes. It could be the perfect solution to de-escalate aggression such as the kind caused by Kashmirs stone-throwing mobs. The DRDO is also working on a laser-based ordnance disposal system to detonate explosives from a safe standoff distance. Also in the pipeline are vehicle and airborne laser systems to engage hostile targets such as aircraft and missiles. These technologies may take up to two years to mature. (From Hindustan Times)India's DRDO is trying to develop its own set of Star Wars-like weapons. From laser dazzlers to control rioting crowds to highpowered lasers to destroy incoming missiles, DRDO is working on a slew of directed energy weapons (DEWs). "Lasers are weapons of the future. We can, for instance, use laser beams to shoot down an enemy missile in its boost or terminal phase,'' said DRDO's Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC) director Anil Kumar Maini, talking to TOI. According to some military experts, the overall level of India's laser weapons is still at the early stage. The laserbased weapon "laser dazzler" emerged in the 1980s, which were used to spot snipers and impair their vision. China also displayed its T-99 tanks with a laser-based system in its 50th anniversary military parade in 1999, which is said to be capable of impairing tank aimers' vision over one thousand meters away and causing possible damage to tanks' aiming system.Indian scientists are on the path to develop an airborne missile- intercept system that employs high-powered lasers to destroy missiles during their boost phase. The Laser Science & Technology Center (Lastec) at Indias secretive Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has been building up technologies that can intercept missiles early in their flight. The weapons will also be utilized for crucial exercises by the countrys armed forces that will involve space security, cyber security and hypersonic technology. These futuristic technologies will be incorporated in the

Ballistic Missile Defense system being pursued by India. Last year, DRDO developed an ultracompact, hand-held laser sensor capable of giving warning in the form of an audio beep as well as a visual indication to the user of any impending laser threat. The device can be used by infantry soldiers in the battlefield and also can be configured as a helmet-mounted system in a modified package. Recently, India also tested a laser ballistic missile defense system. The laser weapon is capable of producing 25-kw pulses that can destroy a ballistic missile at a range of 7 km. One of these weapons is the air defense dazzler, which can engage enemy aircraft and helicopters at a range of 10 km.

The US and DRDO collaboration

Last year the U.S. conducted a series of tests of high-powered laser weapons on a modified Boeing 747, the ALTB (Airborne Laser Test-Bed), which directs chemical laser energy to destroy ballistic missiles in the boost phase. While these laser-based technologies will take time to develop and be deployed, the DRDO along with Lastec hasmapped out the future course of action in these areas, a DRDO official says.

Need to Develop Laser Technology in India

There are large gaps in the development of laser technology and its production between our country and other developed countries. Efforts in this area have been so limited in our country that they are not even equal to the efforts made at one major institution in the USA. Not a single reliable laser system is commercially available in the country. Though some institutions in our country have fabricated some experimental lasers on a laboratory scale, reliable operation of

these lasers has still been a problem. As an outcome of status report of SAC to PM, a National laser Programme has been started recently. Advantages of lasers for various applications in our country are well known and laser research has been recognized as one of the frontier areas to be developed in the 8th Five Year Plan. It is high time for our country to intensify the R&D efforts in the identified areas with time bound pro- Grammies and start the production of lasers for mass applications.

Bibliography

References from the internet

1.

http://www.questia.com/library/book/laser-weapons-the-dawn-of-a-new-military-age-by-major-

general-bengt-anderberg-dr-myron-l-wolbarsht.jsp 2. http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/laser/fundamentals.htm 3. http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/04/summary-of-lasers-for-weapons.html 4. http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-DEW-HEL-Analysis.html

5. http://www.economist.com/node/12502799
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_warfare#Electronic_warfare 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzler_(weapon) 8.http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2011/November/Pages/10TechnologiestheUSMilitary WillNeedFortheNextWar.aspx 9. http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/maritime_laser/index.html 10. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/emergingtech/laser-warfare-takes-to-the-high-seas/2171 11. http://cautionindia.blogspot.in/2011/07/drdo-develops-new-laser-wepons-for.html 12. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-03/india/28294609_1_ballistic-missile-defence-

system-laser-beams-laser-science 13. http://www.ausairpower.net/SP/DT-Laser-ADW-2008.pdf

14)http://www.indianexpress.com/news/work-on-to-develop-laser-weapon-system15)drdo/880404/http://post.jagran.com/DRDO-scientists-to-develop-laser-weapon-system-1322197451 16) http://www.hexxcom.com/drdo-develops-new-laser-weapons/ 17) http://the913project.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/laser-warfare-china/ 18 ) http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Laser_weapon_downs_6_planes_in_Boeing_test_999.html/ 19)http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=8517db24-4488-4228-812daecb82727d41%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z

DRDO websites
1. http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/labs/LASTEC/English/index.jsp?pg=whatsnew.jsp 2. http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/data/Laser%20and%20its%20Applications.pdf

Other important websites

1.Pakistan Defense org.)http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-defence/106065-india-looks-laser-

weapons-air-missile-defense.html

2. The fire man blog) http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-defence/106065-india-looks-laserweapons-air-missile-defense.html

News papers (Articles quoted from)

1. Fox news .net 2. Times Of India 3. Hindustan Times

Books
1. Bengt Anderberg, Myron Wolbarsht, Laser weapons: The dawn of a new military age 2. Glen P. Perram, An Introduction to Laser Weapon Systems 3. Philip E. Nielsen, Effects of Directed Energy Weapons