Royal Navy & Brit Army to get laser weapons

[Dashing_Chap]

Don't think I've seen this posted yet:

MoD confirms laser beam technology will be used on Royal Navy ships

The Ministry of Defence has reinforced its commitment to remaining at the cutting edge of futuristic military technology.

www.plymouthherald.co.uk

In an announcement made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the UK Government cemented their commitment to dramatically increasing its defence budget.

"This £72.5million investment into laser and radio frequency weapons comes as the Armed Forces sees an increase of £24billion in Defence spending over the next four years.

Three contracts have been awarded to Thales and Raytheon UK to produce new Directed Energy Weapons, as the MoD looks to future-proof existing ships and army vehicles."

Armed Forces to trial laser weapons for the first time

British Army and Royal Navy will mount high-tech weapons on Wolfhound vehicle and Type-23 frigate, with aim of full capabilities in 10 years

www.telegraph.co.uk

Image from telegraph

Armed Forces to trial laser weapons for the first time​

British Army and Royal Navy will mount high-tech weapons on Wolfhound vehicle and Type-23 frigate, with aim of full capabilities in 10 years



Does this mean that during training troops will have to yell "Zapzapzap!' instead of "Dakkadakka pew pew!" ?

 

[alfred_the_great]

 

[Sarastro]

Don't think I've seen this posted yet:

MoD confirms laser beam technology will be used on Royal Navy ships

The Ministry of Defence has reinforced its commitment to remaining at the cutting edge of futuristic military technology.

www.plymouthherald.co.uk

In an announcement made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the UK Government cemented their commitment to dramatically increasing its defence budget.

"This £72.5million investment into laser and radio frequency weapons comes as the Armed Forces sees an increase of £24billion in Defence spending over the next four years.

Three contracts have been awarded to Thales and Raytheon UK to produce new Directed Energy Weapons, as the MoD looks to future-proof existing ships and army vehicles."

View attachment 604326

Armed Forces to trial laser weapons for the first time

British Army and Royal Navy will mount high-tech weapons on Wolfhound vehicle and Type-23 frigate, with aim of full capabilities in 10 years

www.telegraph.co.uk

Image from telegraph

Armed Forces to trial laser weapons for the first time​

British Army and Royal Navy will mount high-tech weapons on Wolfhound vehicle and Type-23 frigate, with aim of full capabilities in 10 years



Does this mean that during training troops will have to yell "Zapzapzap!' instead of "Dakkadakka pew pew!" ?

Looks like they have some ways to go from those pictures.

I mean, if their lasers beams are at about 800% diffusion merely meters out from the source, and their radio waves are only covering around a 15 degree angle, then it's not quite cutting edge tech.

Maybe they should hire someone other than the Telegraph graphics department to work on it.

 

[Wagner-Group]

 

[putteesinmyhands]

This laser blaster...

Will it bear a striking resemblance to a SMG?

 

[mechanicalhorsetrough]

This laser blaster...

Will it bear a striking resemblance to a SMG?

View attachment 613783

Yep, SMG laser weapon, now where have we seen that before?……..

 

[loofkar]

Does this mean that during training troops will have to yell "Zapzapzap!' instead of "Dakkadakka pew pew!" ?

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYOW EXTERMINATE!""

 

[Yokel]

There was talk some years ago of a laser based CIWS, which unlike Phalanx and the like could not run out of ammunition. How much power would the laser need to cause an incoming missile to explode of structurally fail? How would it be aimed/steered? Phalanx works by tracking the missile by radar, and using another radar to track the rounds fired, and 'walking' them onto the target. How do you track a laser beam -apart from reflection?

 

[Cold_Collation]

There was talk some years ago of a laser based CIWS, which unlike Phalanx and the like could not run out of ammunition. How much power would the laser need to cause an incoming missile to explode of structurally fail? How would it be aimed/steered? Phalanx works by tracking the missile by radar, and using another radar to track the rounds fired, and 'walking' them onto the target. How do you track a laser beam -apart from reflection?

The Force.

 

[Gravdigger]

There was talk some years ago of a laser based CIWS, which unlike Phalanx and the like could not run out of ammunition. How much power would the laser need to cause an incoming missile to explode of structurally fail? How would it be aimed/steered? Phalanx works by tracking the missile by radar, and using another radar to track the rounds fired, and 'walking' them onto the target. How do you track a laser beam -apart from reflection?

The Force.

You piggy-back the laser onto the radar beam and track the incoming before letting the laser have a blast at the target.

 

[oscar1whisky]

Don't think I've seen this posted yet:

MoD confirms laser beam technology will be used on Royal Navy ships

The Ministry of Defence has reinforced its commitment to remaining at the cutting edge of futuristic military technology.

www.plymouthherald.co.uk

In an announcement made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the UK Government cemented their commitment to dramatically increasing its defence budget.

"This £72.5million investment into laser and radio frequency weapons comes as the Armed Forces sees an increase of £24billion in Defence spending over the next four years.

Three contracts have been awarded to Thales and Raytheon UK to produce new Directed Energy Weapons, as the MoD looks to future-proof existing ships and army vehicles."

View attachment 604326

Armed Forces to trial laser weapons for the first time

British Army and Royal Navy will mount high-tech weapons on Wolfhound vehicle and Type-23 frigate, with aim of full capabilities in 10 years

www.telegraph.co.uk

Image from telegraph

Armed Forces to trial laser weapons for the first time​

British Army and Royal Navy will mount high-tech weapons on Wolfhound vehicle and Type-23 frigate, with aim of full capabilities in 10 years



Does this mean that during training troops will have to yell "Zapzapzap!' instead of "Dakkadakka pew pew!" ?

The technical term is " Freeeemm".
See " no turn signals on a Land raider" cartoons for examples.

 

[Yokel]

You piggy-back the laser onto the radar beam and track the incoming before letting the laser have a blast at the target.

Obviously - but Phalanx works by using radar to track the incoming missile (or aircraft), aiming the weapon at it, firing a burst, and then using another radar tracking where the shells go, and using the error (how much it misses by) as feedback in a sort of closed loop system

A laser beam is much narrower than a radar beam in any case.

 

[Listy]

There was talk some years ago of a laser based CIWS, which unlike Phalanx and the like could not run out of ammunition. How much power would the laser need to cause an incoming missile to explode of structurally fail? How would it be aimed/steered? Phalanx works by tracking the missile by radar, and using another radar to track the rounds fired, and 'walking' them onto the target. How do you track a laser beam -apart from reflection?

Grown up answer is: depends what you're trying to do with it. But with the rate of improvements you're looking at a engine in the back of your AFV to power it. Now, where it gets interesting is how many lasers are you using.
Back in 2015 this was wheeled out:

Rheinmetall HEL High-Energy Laser weapon station mounted on Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicle 0405154 | weapons defence industry military technology UK | analysis focus army defence military industry army

Rheinmetall HEL High-Energy Laser weapon station mounted on Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicle

www.armyrecognition.com

10kW isn't really militarily useful. But only a few years before hand the biggest laser mounted in an AFV was a 1kW. These are all single beam variants.
The bright sparks over at Lenardo however worked out if you have several lower power lasers, all focusing at the same point, you get much higher energy into the target, and that seems to be the basis of Dragonfire, which is a 50kW weapon:

Dragonfire

Leonardo is part of the Dragonfire consortium developing new UK sovereign capability designed to provide short-range air defence and close-in protection for naval vessels using range of different effects depending on the tactical scenario.

uk.leonardocompany.com

The bigger and hard the target the more energy you need to get into the object to do it damage. So you'll need considerably more energy to burn a hole in 50mm of armour plate, than you would need to put a hole in thin sheet metal.
I can see, in the not too distant future, the first role for laser weapons is as an anti-drone anti-missile system. Looking at the drone problem a laser weapon would seem like a perfect answer, as drones are small and light weight, meaning they're easy to effect with lasers. Equally, there's a millitary need for a small heap and easy anti-drone equipment.

 

[alfred_the_great]

It depends on what you’re targeting.

It might be enough to disturb the airflow around something moving very quickly to then catastrophically destroy its flight path…

 

[Cold_Collation]

It depends on what you’re targeting.

It might be enough to disturb the airflow around something moving very quickly to then catastrophically destroy its flight path…

V1s and toppling gyros, for example.

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

V1s and toppling gyros, for example.

That requires Spitfires...

Luckily we still have a few in service.

 

[Themanwho]

"Where do you fit the bayonet?"

 

[Cold_Collation]

That requires Spitfires...

View attachment 656444


Luckily we still have a few in service.

Oo, oo... and Tempests!

(Soon, apparently...)

I was going to say that we need a few Meteors but we have those, too.

 

[Cold_Collation]

"Where do you fit the bayonet?"

Nick Carter Walt.

 

[Themanwho]

Nick Carter Walt.

Erm, Chesty Puller actually....