Ukraine unveils powerful anti-drone laser in battlefield debut
Ukraine announced the combat use of a new weapon—an anti-drone laser. Although this is a significant success for the Ukrainians, it is not the first instance of laser weapon use. The Soviet Union was one of the pioneers in its development, and the work initiated back then is still being continued by Russia.
For decades, laser weapons have generated great optimism due to their notable advantages—they don't require traditional ammunition to be delivered, stored, and loaded, as they only need access to energy. The laser beam travels at the speed of light, faster than any projectile, to hit its target.
Recognizing these advantages, designers have strived for decades to build a laser that could serve as a weapon. However, it is challenging because supplying the appropriate amount of energy in a short time is a significant obstacle.
As a result, few countries are capable of building laser weapons, and even fewer have used them, not just in experimental or controlled laboratory conditions, but directly on the battlefield. Ukraine recently celebrated such a success, and a few years earlier, though without providing details, so did the United States.
Lasers are prevalent in the military, and being a weapon is just one of their applications. The Soviet Union pioneered the development and attempted use of laser weapons, as Tomasz Szulc elaborates in his article "Military Applications of Lasers in the USSR" published in "New Military Technology" magazine. This focus on laser technology as a weapon continues in Russia.
Laser for distance measurement
Lasers are widely used in targeting systems. This includes not only the characteristic laser pointer, often seen as a "red dot" attached to firearms, but primarily laser rangefinders, which allow for precise measurement of distance to a target.
These devices calculate the distance by measuring the time it takes for a pulse to travel to the target and back after reflecting. This allows for highly accurate distance calculations.
Tank rangefinders, among other applications, operate on this principle, enabling tanks to have a better chance of hitting a target on the first shot by accounting for other factors, such as weather conditions, without the need for a time-consuming "zeroing in" process. Soviet T-64 tanks were the first in the world to be equipped with such rangefinders in 1965.
Laser-guided missiles
Lasers are also used for "laser guidance" in various missiles. However, this term can refer to two different methods of guiding a weapon to a target.
The first method involves guidance using reflected light from a target indicator, which may be located far from where the missile is launched. For instance, a drone can designate targets for artillery (like laser-guided 2K25 Krasnopol missiles), while a reconnaissance team can "illuminate" an object for a bomb to hit, such as the KAB-500L.
This method uses light reflected from the target, which is registered by the missile's seeker. The weapon is then guided toward the target by following the source of the reflection.
The second method guides the projectile in the original, non-reflected laser beam, typical for certain anti-tank missiles, such as 9M133 Kornet or 9K121 Vikhr. In this process, a laser illuminates the target, and the launched projectile has sensors that help ensure it stays within the boundaries of the guiding laser beam during flight. This beam is stronger, less dispersed, and less susceptible to interference compared to reflected light.
A disadvantage of both methods is that the laser's illumination of the target can be detected, giving the opponent an opportunity to counteract, for example, using a soft-kill active protection system that automatically deploys smoke grenades.
Laser as a weapon
Using lasers as weapons is significantly more complex. This research has been ongoing for over half a century or perhaps even since the early conception of laser weapons during the Nazi era with the "death star," designed by Hermann Oberth. This project envisioned an orbital station destroying large areas of the planet with a concentrated light beam using a mirror approximately 9 square kilometres in size.
Probably the simplest combat application of a laser is as a blinding weapon—directly affecting soldiers' eyes, positioned in front of various lens systems used in sights or observation devices.
For such applications, the USSR developed systems like the 1K17 Szhatie (Compression), often described as a "laser tank." Mounted on a 2S19 Msta-S howitzer chassis, this system featured a turret with 15 lens sets—three as the targeting system, while the remaining 12 allowed for simultaneous laser attacks on up to 12 detected optical systems in enemy vehicles or equipment.
Detection and attack on optics were designed to occur automatically, potentially resulting in both the destruction of the optical system and the permanent blinding of its user. Tests indicated the weapon functioned properly; however, its high production cost and limited operational conditions resulted in only one prototype being produced.
A portable version of this weapon was also developed—the PAPV emitter, operated by two soldiers, which automatically scanned the area for optical systems and attacked them with concentrated light. Its drawback was susceptibility to interference and targeting random pieces of glass or smooth metal.
Intense work was also conducted on airborne lasers, such as the A-60 aircraft, built in the 1970s. Interestingly, these were initially intended to target stratospheric balloons, which were difficult to down using cannons or various rockets.
Russia also tested anti-satellite and anti-aircraft laser weapons; however, despite certain achievements (like "illuminating" the Challenger shuttle during a flyby), the weapon did not progress to a stage suitable for combat use.
