8.4 Microwave Weapons for Atmospheric and Space Applications
781
Thus, the maximum combat effectiveness of the missile defense system is
achieved. Liquid-fuel ICBM are especially vulnerable in the active segment of the
trajectory. The laser beam heats the body of the missile and increases the internal fuel
pressure in tanks, which causes an explosion. Also possible is the destruction of the
missile body weakened by strong heating caused by loads arising at high flight speeds
and during manoeuvering. Therefore, it is possible to destroy the target without fully
burning through the body of the missile.
For example, on February 11, 2010, after the completion of ground-based laser
testing, field tests of combat aviation laser weapons installed on a Boeing 747-400F
aircraft for destruction of ICBMs took place for the first time.
A ballistic liquid-fuel missile was launched from a sea platform, while Boeing
747-400F was located 200–300 km away from the launch location. Six infrared
sensors of the system required just a few seconds to detect the rocket launch. The
solid laser began following the missile, while the second laser of the same type in
combination with adaptive optics helped the computer to evaluate the distortions
introduced by the atmosphere. After that, the powerful beam of the megawatt laser
heated the missile and caused irreversible destruction of its structure. The entire
process took less than 2 min starting from the moment of launch. About an hour
later, the second, solid-fuel missile, was launched from the ground unit. The laser
unit also worked successfully, but without the effect of the powerful beam.
Potentially, combat lasers shall form a basis for a highly effective missile defense,
which will allow hitting several enemy missiles at once. Back in February 2008, one
of the leading military-industrial consortia, Martin–Boeing–TRW, signed a contract
to develop a space laser station with the expectation of conducting the first tests
in 2012 (and completing the full cycle of works by 2020). As of the moment of
publication of this book, we have no information regarding the state of works under
this contract.
In the USSR (Russia), work on the creation of laser weapons has also been
conducted since the 1970s with leading position in certain areas. The media repeatedly published review articles about these works—in particular, how Almaz Central
Design Bureau developed the A-60 laser weapon complex installed on the IL-76MD
plane, Altair created ship-based laser weapons, while design bureaus and R&D
institutes of the Ministry of General Machine-Building built the 17F19D Skif-D
spacecraft with a combat laser onboard.
8.4.4 Microwave Beam Weapons
As noted in Sect. 8.2, beam (accelerator) microwave weapons are various accelerators
of charged or neutral particles (electrons, protons, neutral hydrogen atoms) focused
into a sharply directed beam. Due to high energy, such beam can use radiation
(ionizing) and thermomechanical effect to destroy shells of aircrafts and ballistic
missiles, initiate X-ray radiation, disable onboard electronic equipment, and damage
molecular structure of the human body.
781
Thus, the maximum combat effectiveness of the missile defense system is
achieved. Liquid-fuel ICBM are especially vulnerable in the active segment of the
trajectory. The laser beam heats the body of the missile and increases the internal fuel
pressure in tanks, which causes an explosion. Also possible is the destruction of the
missile body weakened by strong heating caused by loads arising at high flight speeds
and during manoeuvering. Therefore, it is possible to destroy the target without fully
burning through the body of the missile.
For example, on February 11, 2010, after the completion of ground-based laser
testing, field tests of combat aviation laser weapons installed on a Boeing 747-400F
aircraft for destruction of ICBMs took place for the first time.
A ballistic liquid-fuel missile was launched from a sea platform, while Boeing
747-400F was located 200–300 km away from the launch location. Six infrared
sensors of the system required just a few seconds to detect the rocket launch. The
solid laser began following the missile, while the second laser of the same type in
combination with adaptive optics helped the computer to evaluate the distortions
introduced by the atmosphere. After that, the powerful beam of the megawatt laser
heated the missile and caused irreversible destruction of its structure. The entire
process took less than 2 min starting from the moment of launch. About an hour
later, the second, solid-fuel missile, was launched from the ground unit. The laser
unit also worked successfully, but without the effect of the powerful beam.
Potentially, combat lasers shall form a basis for a highly effective missile defense,
which will allow hitting several enemy missiles at once. Back in February 2008, one
of the leading military-industrial consortia, Martin–Boeing–TRW, signed a contract
to develop a space laser station with the expectation of conducting the first tests
in 2012 (and completing the full cycle of works by 2020). As of the moment of
publication of this book, we have no information regarding the state of works under
this contract.
In the USSR (Russia), work on the creation of laser weapons has also been
conducted since the 1970s with leading position in certain areas. The media repeatedly published review articles about these works—in particular, how Almaz Central
Design Bureau developed the A-60 laser weapon complex installed on the IL-76MD
plane, Altair created ship-based laser weapons, while design bureaus and R&D
institutes of the Ministry of General Machine-Building built the 17F19D Skif-D
spacecraft with a combat laser onboard.
8.4.4 Microwave Beam Weapons
As noted in Sect. 8.2, beam (accelerator) microwave weapons are various accelerators
of charged or neutral particles (electrons, protons, neutral hydrogen atoms) focused
into a sharply directed beam. Due to high energy, such beam can use radiation
(ionizing) and thermomechanical effect to destroy shells of aircrafts and ballistic
missiles, initiate X-ray radiation, disable onboard electronic equipment, and damage
molecular structure of the human body.