Companies involved in the F-35 programme are considering laser weapon concepts for use by the aircraft.
UPDATED 22/10/2020
Last year, a press briefing in the Netherlands for the F-35 has restarted the rumour mill that the F-35 will be one of the platforms that will eventually feature laser based weapons technology.
In addition, it was reported that F-35 engine makers Pratt & Whitney are refining their proposed upgrade path for the F135 Joint Strike Fighter engine to include increased power and thermal management capability following feedback on its initially proposed upgrade package from the F-35 Joint Program Office. Additional power and thermal management capability will enable the use of directed-energy weapons and other advanced offensive and defensive systems and we understand that, if approved, would feature in an upgrade package called Growth Option 2.0.
Lockheed Martin, Notre Dame University, DARPA and the Air Force Research Lab last year started flight testing a streamlined and miniaturised airborne laser turret. The turret allows for 360 degree aiming coverage for directed energy weapons that will be flying on military aircraft in the not so distant future and is able to rapidly aim at targets and focus a directed energy burst through the atmosphere at those targets to disable or destroy them.
Lockheed senior fellow for laser and sensor systems said at a media briefing:
“We’re looking at concepts for the integration of a laser weapon onto the F-35. We’re also looking at the utility and doing models and calculations so you would understand the utility of a laser weapon system in the F-35.”
General Ellen Pawlikowski, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, said recently that the US Air Force is continuing efforts to field directed energy weapons:
“I think we’re on the cusp of actually being able to field a true laser weapon within the next five to six years. We’ve got an activity that’s going forward, to put a laser on a fighter aircraft, not to blow up scud missiles or to win in a dogfight, but as an air defence.”
Rumours and speculation are rife but at a time where directed energy based technology is fast being adopted by the military, we can only expect them to become more common.
Tie or X-Wing fighters?
Seriously though, the scientists will need to really condense the power supplies to fit a fighter form. Directed energy weapons are a major power drain.
I understand how a USS Ford Class supercarrier with 2 reactors can support laser weapons – but I’ve never understood how an aircraft could ever power something like that!
Before we get carried away, i feel we should define laser weapon. For example the RN deployed laser dazzle weapons on its ships during the falklands. ( later removed from service on Health and seafty grounds as apparently it could blind the pilot of an attacking plane)
The Chinese later fitted something similar onto their MBTs in which to target the gunner of anti tank missile teams.
The Yanks have deployed lasers onto:
Vehicles (Anti IED/Drone)
Ships (Anti drone/Small boat)
747 (Anti Ballistic missiles)
Yes the technology is leaping ahead, The Israelis deployed a laser version of their Iron dome called Iron Beam in August of this year. But the system is still very much in its infancy and very short ranged .
So whilst laser weapons do exist, they don’t mirror what we see on the telly along the lines of Star Trek and Star wars. I think that the first combat aircraft as such to deploy such a system would be along the lines of a C130 Spooky Gunship.which has the space to fit an oversized cat toy.
P.S
if and when this takes place will aircraft change to a mirror surface outer coating?
Interestingly, the US Air Force plans to mount a laser on an F-16 sometime in the next three years – a LM program. The laser will be used defensively against air to air missiles. The decision was made not to mount it on on an F-35 because the pod would compromise the stealth characteristics of the airplane.
I was first post today, but looks like the mods have deleted as it contained a web link.
If you search: curious droid directed energy weapons
There is a 20 minute documentary by Paul Shillito (?) on directed energy weapons. He discusses nuclear powered, lasers and microwaves and the pros and cons.
Lasers appear a real issue as they are prone to weather atmospherics and as you ramp up the power plasma forms on the beam. Microwaves are interesting in their ability to destroy electronic infrastructure without harming people or buildings and can be targeted, so missing places like hospitals.
Anyway, an interesting video.
You have to be careful with that statement of: “microwaves and their ability to destroy electronic infrastructure without harming people….”
Ever since the fist radio was invented people unfortunately found out that RF causes pretty nasty burns. This is especially true with high power HF frequencies, if the environmental conditions are right you get a form of St.Elmos fire created inside power amps (especially vacuum tube ones) along waveguides and antenna. At low power these are pretty harmless. But at higher power the plasma will cause burns, much like welding tans. Higher still it will melt the skin and cause arc eye.
When we get to microwave frequencies. You can still see St.Elmos fire being created along waveguides, especially if you’re in a dry environment with lots of dust. However, microwaves effect the body slightly differently. Just like a microwave oven, they will cook you from the inside. It works by exciting the water molecules within your body, these vibrate and generate heat and will cause a molecular change, i.e. cooked.
This phenomenon was first discovered when working with the early centimetric radars. Later on, radar’s such as the Tornado F3’s Foxhunter had a plethora of rules and safety checks that had to be obliged with before it was operated on the ground. The radar was notorious for causing spurious effects on TVs and computers. It was especially bad for personnel who walked through the beam. It would cause severe migraines and nausea (spontaneous throwing up). As an example it could boil an egg at 100m.
A high energy pulse from a radar will interact with electronic systems, by causing an induced electromagnetic field (EMF) on the circuit board track lines that act like antennas. A significant amount of EMF (induced current) will overcome the components on the circuit board, as they are generally designed to use very low voltages (5VDC or less) and micro amps. Double screening and a metal container help to lower the risk of EMF interference, but simple things like blocking diodes are also employed.
The phenomena that centimetric radar cause on the human body is being used as a weapon. These have been developed into area denial weapons and are used by some for crowd control. The system is basically the transmitter side of a radar. They work on the principle of causing headaches and nausea, they can also generate a burning sensation making you want to leave the area. The basic ones use a single frequency transmitted beam, that is transmitted over a broad area from a planar antenna. Later types use electronic beam steering ala passive electronically scanned array (PESA) techniques. This generates a relatively narrow beam of between 5 and 10 degrees, that can be aimed at a specific target. Newer types are using the active electronically scanned array (AESA) techniques. Just like an AESA radar these can use a broader range of transmitted frequencies, but generate a much narrower beam as small a 2 degrees. The US Army have an active denial system mounted to a Humvee. It was seen recently in a number of cities in the States.
https://aftermathnews.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/microwave_weapon.jpg
By using such a narrow beam, you can concentrate more energy onto the point of the beam. By transmitting a waveform with a high amplitude pulse this beam rather than causing discomfort will kill – welcome to the invisible death ray!
Interesting, but my point really was that the laws of physics are stopping lasers delivering what everyone thinks is the ultimate weapon.
With microwaves, frequency plays an important part. Set the frequency high enough and you only penetrate the skin of a human by decimals of a millimetre, this purely causes discomfort, but is enough to deny an area.
I bow to your greater knowledge on all the other stuff, although I am not sure it was all to do with my comment, but must point out that microwave ovens have never cooked from the inside out. They penetrate at about 2.4ghz to up to 25mm (from memory). As you say they excite the water molecules and this heat is then transferred during the cooking process to the inner parts of the food. When have you ever undercooked something to find the middle piping hot and the edges cold? It would defy physics. It is also one of the reasons why microwave ovens pulse full power on lower power settings otherwise the food would burn and why some of todays home ovens are simply too high powered to cook for long periods on full power. They were designed for the re heating culture rather than proper cooking, for which in the right hands are amazingly capable.
Weapons that cause permanent blindness are against the Geneva Convention.
Ah, people have laser eye surgery all the time! maybe it might even improve their eyesight?? ? then everyone’s a winner – we stop the attacking missile and the pilot returns home with better-than-20/20 vision!
How much damage could such a laser do & with what time of exposure on target?
Would smoke, cloud, fog, mist etc degrade its ability?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could shoot down every missile launched against you with 100% success!