Executive summary
Laser weapons are a common trope of science fiction novels, movies, and video games, but practical military applications of lasers have remained elusive. However, recent advances in materials science, optics, and computing have made weapons that shoot concentrated beams of energy at the speed of light a realistic possibility, prompting a new global arms race.
- The Pentagon is investing US$1 billion per year in laser weapons.
- The US Army has already deployed several laser weapons in combat zones, including P-HEL, DE M-SHORAD, and HELIOS.
- Non-US countries working on laser weapons include the UK, Israel, Russia, China, France, India, and Turkey.
- “Directed energy weapons are becoming increasingly important,” says Laura DeSimone, executive director of the Missile Defense Agency.
- “In very controlled conditions, they seem to perform as they should. The issue, though, is how do you translate that to the front line in Ukraine?” asks defence analyst Thomas Withington.
The rapid development of laser weapons is likely to have significant implications for future conflicts and global security. While these weapons offer some notable advantages over conventional weapons, they also face numerous technical hurdles, such as weather susceptibility and power requirements. What does this mean for the adoption of laser weapons? Are they the weapons of the future?
Introduction: War. What is it good for?
Humanity’s propensity for warfare has been a constant thread throughout our history. The only thing that has changed over that time is the weapons we use to fight with one another, gradually evolving from rudimentary tools like sticks and stones to more sophisticated implements like swords and bows. The invention of gunpowder marked a significant leap forward, facilitating the development of increasingly powerful firearms, bombs, and missiles. This trend towards ever-more destructive weaponry culminated in the Manhattan Project, and the invention of nuclear bombs capable of levelling an entire city.
Each advancement has not only changed the face of warfare but also had profound societal and geopolitical implications. The same is likely to be true for the next chapter in this ongoing arms race: laser weapons. Long confined to the realm of science fiction, laser weapons are inching closer and closer to reality as a result of technological advances that have allowed them to transition from the pages of novels to military testing grounds. Let’s take a closer look at the current state of laser weapons and explore their potential impact on the future of warfare.
Laser weapons: a new reality
Recent technological advances have made laser weapons operational, despite earlier limitations.
Ever since the laser was first invented back in 1960, military leaders around the world have been trying to find military applications for the technology. These efforts manifested in several highly ambitious projects, the most notable of which was the Strategic Defense Initiative in the 1980s. Often derisively referred to as the ‘Star Wars programme’, the project aimed to develop space-based laser weapons that could take out Soviet ballistic missiles before they reached US soil. After ten years of development and some US$30 billion in spending, the project was officially shut down in 1993 without delivering on its promise. It was followed by another high-profile failure, the US$5 billion Airborne Laser programme, which was abandoned in 2012.
It has only been in recent years that advances in the fields of materials science, optics, and computer technology have made ‘directed energy weapons’ – a moniker for laser weaponry – feasible. Today, there are 31 laser weapons programmes in various stages of development at the Pentagon alone, with a combined annual budget of US$1 billion. This renewed focus was motivated, in part, by increasing drone and missile attacks on US soldiers in Iraq, Syria, and the Red Sea. According to the Pentagon, drone and missile attacks have resulted in a total of 186 casualties among US troops across the Middle East between October 2023 and February 2024, prompting renewed calls for the development of weapons capable of neutralising such threats.
But how exactly does a laser weapon function? Essentially, a laser works by converting electricity into a stream of light particles called photons. Once these photons pass through a beam director, they are narrowed into a steady beam that causes intense heat in the targeted area. With sufficient power, a laser can burn through various materials, including metal. Laser weapons represent a significantly cheaper alternative to missiles. They operate without ammunition, reach their targets at the speed of light, and are virtually silent. The use of a laser costs between $1-10 per activation, while missiles can cost millions each.
Putting them to use has, however, proven challenging. The biggest limitation of laser weapons is that they are susceptible to weather conditions. Rain, sand, dust, smoke, and even air turbulence can all defocus a laser beam, reducing its precision. Another issue is that laser weapons are incredibly power-hungry, requiring tens or hundreds of kilowatts (kW) of power to engage targets at safe distances. This means that any military platform a laser weapon is installed on requires not only extensive power generation capabilities but also a robust cooling infrastructure to manage the tremendous amount of waste heat generated. Furthermore, laser weapons often require specialised tools, materials, and facilities for repairs, which may not be readily available on the battlefield.
Invisible beams as defence arsenal
Militaries worldwide are developing and testing laser weapons for defence purposes, particularly for neutralising drones.
The United States has led the way with the development of laser weapons, some of which have already been deployed in the field. One example is the Palletised High-Energy Laser (P-HEL), which was delivered to US troops in the Middle East earlier this year. Militaries worldwide are developing and testing laser weapons for defence purposes, particularly for neutralising drones. Operated with an Xbox gaming controller, P-HEL uses a 20 kW laser beam to melt the drone’s wings or motors and shoot it out of the sky. The US Army has also deployed four Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) prototypes, which feature a 50 kW laser mounted onto a Stryker armoured troop carrier, to Iraq for real-world testing.
In the near future, the US Army could get its hands on its most powerful laser weapon yet: the 300 kW Valkyrie. Developed by Lockheed Martin, Valkyrie will be able to engage a wider range of threats than previous generations of laser weaponry. Its unprecedented power could even render it capable of neutralising cruise missiles. Of course, it’s not just land troops who are in need of protection. The US Navy has also integrated laser weapons into several warships, including the USS Preble, which was equipped in 2022 with a High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS). This multi-purpose system is capable of destroying drones and smaller boats, as well as disrupting optical sensors on enemy warships and aircraft.
Several other countries are also currently working on their own laser weapons projects, including the UK, Israel, Russia, China, France, India, and Turkey. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), a research lab funded by the UK Ministry of Defence, revealed in late 2022 that it had conducted a series of live-fire tests of its new high-energy laser weapon named DragonFire. The 50 kW weapon system was tasked with targeting a small drone and various metal targets designed to mimic the characteristics of ship and aircraft hulls at a distance of up to 3.4 kilometres. According to DSTL officials, DragonFire remained operational during tests, even in rainy conditions.
Similarly, Israeli defence technology company Rafael announced in March 2022 that it had completed the latest batch of live-fire tests of Iron Beam, its new 100 kW laser weapon. Once it’s ready for field deployment, which the company estimates could happen in about two years, Iron Beam will be integrated into the Iron Dome, which was also developed by Rafael. This will add a more economically efficient weapon to the Iron Dome’s arsenal of kinetic interceptors, allowing it to choose the most suitable option based on the type of incoming threat and current weather conditions.
“High-energy laser systems are a better match to the threats we now face versus the threats 10 or 20 years ago.”
Iain McKinnie, director for science and technology at Raytheon
New defence capabilities
Laser weapons are being developed as a response to emerging threats, though technical challenges and limitations affect their deployment.
“Directed energy weapons are becoming increasingly important,” proclaims Laura DeSimone, executive director of the Missile Defense Agency. “Directed energy systems provide additional strategic options while significantly reducing costs compared to conventional weapons,” notes Laura DeSimone from the Missile Defense Agency. This assessment is supported by Ben Maddison from the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), who points out that these systems have demonstrated their effectiveness against various types of threats.
As cheap weaponised drones become more widely employed in conflicts around the world, laser weapons may soon become a necessity to counter this emerging threat. “High-energy laser systems are a better match to the threats we now face versus the threats 10 or 20 years ago,” explains Iain McKinnie, director of science and technology at defence contractor Raytheon. “We don’t have a technology problem or a scientific problem anymore… it’s now an engineering problem. The science is there, we’ve shown that it works,” says Michael Lurie, chief executive of defence technology company Rafael USA. “It’s not a question of if we will do it. It’s a question of when, and how long it will take.”
However, there are still a range of technical challenges that need to be overcome. “In very controlled conditions, they seem to perform as they should. The issue, though, is how do you translate that to the front line in Ukraine?” asks Thomas Withington, an analyst and author specialising in electronic warfare and military communications. Military leaders themselves acknowledge that the technology in its current form still has certain limitations. “Our high-energy lasers are so susceptible to weather,” says General James Mingus, the US Army’s vice chief of staff. “Anytime there’s a dust storm, anytime there’s that kind of thing, it starts to alter the physics of the light particles that actually shoot that beam.”
The sheer complexity of the weapons is another compounding factor. “Lasers are complicated. This is not a Humvee that’s sitting in the motor pool,” says Lieutenant General Daniel Karbler, the head of US Army Space and Missile Defense Command. “Many of the main [laser] components… you’re not going to have a supply room or maintenance office full of repair parts. Those are going to have to be built out.” However, the technical challenges don’t end there. “That power level is proving challenging to incorporate into a vehicle that has to move around constantly – the heat dissipation, the amount of electronics, kind of the wear and tear of a vehicle in a tactical environment versus a fixed site,” explains Doug Bush, the Army’s head of acquisitions.
A new global arms race?
The development of increasingly powerful laser weapons may ignite a new global arms race with profound implications for international security and stability.
As laser weapons continue to evolve, they are likely to take on a more prominent role in the future of warfare. While they won’t be able to replace conventional weapons in all situations, lasers are expected to become increasingly powerful, potentially exceeding 1 megawatt of power within the next couple of decades, which could enable them to engage a wider variety of targets. The integration of laser weapons into existing military arsenals may even spur the creation of new types of hybrid weapons that combine the best traits of lasers, missiles, and traditional guns while mitigating their weaknesses, expanding the range of tactical options available to military commanders.
The ongoing development of laser weapons could, however, trigger a new global arms race that could have far-reaching implications for international security and stability, as countries strive to give themselves a tactical advantage over their adversaries. This competition for global supremacy may very well extend beyond the confines of the Earth’s atmosphere, with countries like Russia and China already reportedly investing in counterspace weapons, including powerful lasers capable of disrupting vital military satellites. Does this mean that the next world war – if and when it does happen – will be partly fought in space?
Learnings
The advent of laser weapons marks a significant milestone in the evolution of warfare, one that could fundamentally reshape the global security landscape in the years to come. While they are a far cry from the laser weapons portrayed in science fiction movies and video games, they offer numerous advantages over conventional weapons like guns and missiles.
- Laser weapons operate at light speed, produce minimal sound and can be activated repeatedly as long as power is available.
- Current cost estimates range from US$1-10 per activation, compared to conventional missiles which can cost several million dollars per unit.
- Development focuses primarily on drone defence capabilities.
- Technical considerations include power requirements, cooling systems, and the influence of atmospheric conditions like rain and dust.
- The ongoing development of laser weapons by multiple nations could affect global military capabilities and strategic relationships.
The emergence of laser weapons raises important questions about future warfare. Could these invisible weapons mean fewer civilian casualties and collateral damage? Or do they actually make the world less secure? The answer likely depends on how we handle them. The technology itself is neutral – what matters is how we use it. And as with any new technology, we have a choice: will we primarily use laser weapons to protect people and infrastructure against attacks, or will they become part of a new arms race and only add fuel to the fire?
