Once confined to the imaginative realms of science fiction,
laser weapons teeter on the precipice of altering modern warfare forever.
Unleashing the power of light speed and unconstrained by ammunition or conventional
kinetic defenses, laser weapons herald an era of unparalleled effectiveness and sheer devastation.
As such, the US Navy has meticulously crafted
its laser solutions to dominate the fierce battleground of the high seas.
In a recent development, the Navy and its partners unveiled
their state-of-the-art cutting-edge laser beams in blistering action to the world.
The footage showcases the laser weapon mounted atop the US warship USS Portland. As a high-speed
boat menacingly approaches the warship, the energy weapon locks onto its target and then fires.
In the conventional footage, no beam is visible, only the boat succumbing to the
unyielding energy of the weapon. However, the searing light beam is revealed in a
series of infrared images, cutting a path from the weapon to its ill-fated target.
Though widespread use remains on the horizon, US authorities firmly believe
their groundbreaking laser weapons are ready to reshape the harrowing conflict in Yemen,
proposing them as the solution to the fearsome Houthis boat drones that have plagued the region…
The Future of Warfare
The
powerful laser weapons developed by the US Navy are just one example of
how the world of military knowledge has been increasingly focusing on directed
energy weapons as the next great evolution in battlefield technology.
Directed energy weapons, including high-powered lasers,
represent a cutting-edge weapon system with significant advantages over conventional
kinetic solutions. These advantages stem from the unique properties of directed energy,
which enable it to deliver precise, rapid, and scalable effects on the battlefield.
One of the most remarkable benefits of directed energy weapons is their pinpoint
accuracy. These weapons can emit a highly focused beam of energy, accurately aimed
and adjusted in real time, allowing for the selective engagement of individual targets.
Consequently, threats can be neutralized with minimal collateral damage, reducing
the risk of harm to innocent bystanders or non-combatants.
Another critical advantage is their lightning-fast speed of engagement. Directed energy travels
at the speed of light, enabling almost instantaneous target neutralization with impact.
This rapid response to threats can significantly enhance sailors’ survival
chances in combat situations. Even if they are ambushed by fast-moving attackers,
the laser defenses have a greater chance of responding than conventional kinetic weapons.
For maritime purposes, the accuracy and concentration of energy, in addition to
the staggering speed provided by the Navy’s recent lasers, can help take out even the
smallest and faster drone boats without threatening other ships in the vicinity.
Diverging from conventional munitions, directed energy weapons require no physical projectiles,
eliminating maintenance costs, resupply needs, and the risk of running out of ammunition.
Furthermore, they produce no harmful by-products and pose no threat to the
surrounding area, making them an environmentally friendly option,
a factor that is increasingly more important for military organizations worldwide.
Weapon manufacturers developing directed energy solutions assert that the future of warfare
will likely be shaped by the increasing deployment of these weapons, providing
military forces with unparalleled precision, speed, and versatility on the battlefield.
However, despite the technology’s awe-inspiring features and immense
potential, its development has faced a turbulent journey, and it is believed
that the technology will introduce its own set of significant disadvantages.
A Decades-Long Plight
As incredible and powerful as the technology appears to be, its development has dragged on
for several decades, going back to its emergence in the 1960s. It appears as though the technology
has as many inherent obstacles and limitations in its way as it has promising features.
One of the primary disadvantages of directed energy weapons is their limited range.
Typically, these weapons have a much shorter range than traditional ones like missiles or artillery.
Such a limitation can hinder their effectiveness in specific scenarios,
making it challenging to engage distant targets.
Laser weapons development, in particular, has been significantly hampered by the limited
range of prototypes. Although lasers consist of focused light capable of traversing vast
distances nearly instantaneously, environmental particles such as smoke, dust, water, and clouds
can quickly dissipate the beam, resulting in an occasionally inadequate operational range.
The fact that one of the most advanced weapon systems on Earth can be foiled
by the simple emergence of mist has become one of
the most unyielding obstacles to the development of technology.
Indeed, another significant disadvantage is their high cost.
As time progresses, their development has become increasingly expensive,
partly due to efforts to address the dissipation issue. Engineers have
been compelled to create more specialized and complex optic systems capable of compensating
for potential particles in the air that could diminish the effectiveness of the laser beam.
Despite the sometimes-sluggish progress, the technology has not stopped moving forward. Today,
the Navy and other military factions and manufacturers across the globe
claim to have reliable, efficient laser solutions for the need of modern warfare.
In all likelihood, kinetic weapons will continue to be the primary firepower solution worldwide,
as the targets that will most fit the profile for a laser attack are still limited.
But in cases where US forces are threatened by small, fast-moving targets,
especially near-friendly assets, laser weapons promise to be an ideal solution.
The Middle East
In December 2021, the US Navy announced it had successfully tested the laser weapon
it had been developing for several years. The spectacular test entailed destroying a
floating target in the Middle East, a method that could be employed to
counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
The recent test marks the latest in a series of high-intensity trials of laser weapons.
The series began in 2015 with footage of a laser destroying a remote-controlled high-speed boat.
In 2020, the weapon was used to bring down an aerial drone.
Now, this second instance demonstrates the laser weapon’s capability to devastate speedboats.
In this recent demonstration, the Navy shared images of the test on Twitter, captioned “Bring
Out THE LASERS.” The test saw USS Portland firing its Laser Weapon System Demonstrator
at the target in the Gulf of Aden, the waters separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
The event is said to be extremely similar to the 2015 test, where the laser was also tested on a
target simulated as a bomb-ladened high-speed boat approaching US naval assets. This time,
despite not having the video of the laser strike, the infrared images gave the public an
unprecedented peak at how the laser beam actually looks when it is not being seen by the naked eye.
The previous footage and the unprecedented photos give the public a more significant
understanding of how the technology works and how it can be used in the future.
Nevertheless, the Navy is looking into using its new technology sooner rather than later.
Yemen Situation
The critical test occurred in the Gulf of Aden, along the southern coast of war-torn Yemen.
The region has been a battleground since Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015. Still, the stalemate has persisted for
years, resulting in the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and an estimated 110,000 casualties.
As the disaster has grown and increased in brutality,
it has extended into surrounding waterways, such as the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb,
which connect to the Gulf of Aden. These waterways are crucial for international
shipping and global energy supplies as they lead to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
Houthi rebels have deployed drone boats into these waters, which can be remotely piloted
and sent to targets before detonating. Iran is suspected of having assisted
in building these boats and supporting the operations in the area’s waterways.
In 2018, Emirati officials released footage allegedly showing Iranians
constructing components for the boat’s guidance system, with one image featuring
the symbol of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the background.
Iran has denied arming the Houthis. However, United Nations experts, independent analysts,
and Western nations have pointed to evidence of Tehran’s link to the weapons.
The threat these highspeed boats exert on the region is growing,
and the Navy hopes its new pinpoint, accurate, and devastating laser weapon will defuse the
situation and keep the waterways in the Middle East free for commercial and civilian transit.
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