Expectations of the appearance of a powerful laser weapon are accompanied by the hope for the invention of a game-changing weapon that will remove the threat of rockets and missiles, and of course the threats of high trajectory firepower or direct aim firepower for short and medium ranges. On the tactical level, the laser weapon is also designed to remove threats of UAV and drone swarms.
The announcements by the chairman of Rafael on the deployment of the Israeli laser system Iron Beam in the Gaza Strip sector without operational use, along with an announcement by the British Ministry of Defense on successful field tests of the Dragonfire laser system, constitute encouraging news. The delay in the operationalization of the system mainly stems from various engineering needs, such as the need to implement the optimal method for operating the laser system and the integration of the laser into the air defense system in optimal fashion.
The laser weapon has proven feasibility in the future battlefield, albeit with disadvantages alongside its advantages. The outstanding advantage of a powerful laser weapon or laser cannon is its ability to reach any target precisely, with a focused beam and at the speed of light. The time it takes to reach a target that is 10 km away, for example, is a millionth of a second. The laser heats the target's shell in sensitive areas such as the engine area or the warhead area for a short time until the target's shell collapses and is destroyed. The laser system is a non-expendable system that can be activated repeatedly, while performing a sequence of interceptions at a very low cost compared to the interceptors that exist today. Its operation requires minimal logistics that do not involve the use of hazardous materials. In addition, this system has great accuracy and flexibility in operational activation according to the conditions at hand – against a variety of targets while controlling the power produced by the laser cannon.
Alongside these advantages, the laser weapon has a number of inherent disadvantages: the laser beam, like any light beam, moves in a straight line only, and therefore the interception is conditional on the existence of a line of sight between the beam and the target. The system has limitations of weather and atmospheric conditions such as cloudiness, haze, water, vapor, and air turbulence. In addition, the system has thermal limitations resulting from the need to remove the large amount of heat generated by the operation of the laser, and this may limit the energy produced by the laser cannon.
The deployment of the laser system in the Gaza Strip front is intended to test the system's integration within Israel's multi-layered defense system, whose various components have functioned together with impressive efficiency in the various past and present conflicts.
ByGSpeech
Expectations of the appearance of a powerful laser weapon are accompanied by the hope for the invention of a game-changing weapon that will remove the threat of rockets and missiles, and of course the threats of high trajectory firepower or direct aim firepower for short and medium ranges. On the tactical level, the laser weapon is also designed to remove threats of UAV and drone swarms.
The announcements by the chairman of Rafael on the deployment of the Israeli laser system Iron Beam in the Gaza Strip sector without operational use, along with an announcement by the British Ministry of Defense on successful field tests of the Dragonfire laser system, constitute encouraging news. The delay in the operationalization of the system mainly stems from various engineering needs, such as the need to implement the optimal method for operating the laser system and the integration of the laser into the air defense system in optimal fashion.
The laser weapon has proven feasibility in the future battlefield, albeit with disadvantages alongside its advantages. The outstanding advantage of a powerful laser weapon or laser cannon is its ability to reach any target precisely, with a focused beam and at the speed of light. The time it takes to reach a target that is 10 km away, for example, is a millionth of a second. The laser heats the target's shell in sensitive areas such as the engine area or the warhead area for a short time until the target's shell collapses and is destroyed. The laser system is a non-expendable system that can be activated repeatedly, while performing a sequence of interceptions at a very low cost compared to the interceptors that exist today. Its operation requires minimal logistics that do not involve the use of hazardous materials. In addition, this system has great accuracy and flexibility in operational activation according to the conditions at hand – against a variety of targets while controlling the power produced by the laser cannon.
Alongside these advantages, the laser weapon has a number of inherent disadvantages: the laser beam, like any light beam, moves in a straight line only, and therefore the interception is conditional on the existence of a line of sight between the beam and the target. The system has limitations of weather and atmospheric conditions such as cloudiness, haze, water, vapor, and air turbulence. In addition, the system has thermal limitations resulting from the need to remove the large amount of heat generated by the operation of the laser, and this may limit the energy produced by the laser cannon.
The deployment of the laser system in the Gaza Strip front is intended to test the system's integration within Israel's multi-layered defense system, whose various components have functioned together with impressive efficiency in the various past and present conflicts.