“The Martians fought with weapons as yet unimagined by the people of Earth; an invisible sword of fire that destroyed all it touched.”
The foresight exhibited by HG Wells when writing his book War of the Worlds in 1897, predated the first laser by over 60 years. It was not until 1960 that Theodore Maiman invented the world’s first laser, known as the ‘ruby laser’, as it produced a red visible light.
Fast forward another 60 years and now there is every probability that lasers will actually be used as weapons within the next decade.
One of the trials currently underway for laser guided energy weapons is the being conducted by the UK Dragonfire consortium. This is being let by MBDA with partners QinetiQ, Leonardo, Arke, BAE Systems and Marshall ADG.
Working on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence who provided an investment of £30 million in January 2017, under contract to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), the consortium’s stated objective is to develop a Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) through a limited Capability Demonstrator Programme (CDP).
In July 2019, then Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said that the Government would be investing around £130 million into Directed Energy Weapons research and demonstrations.
Speaking at a briefing at the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) on 7 January, DSTL’s Ben Maddison said that the consortium had been making good progress over the last couple of years.
Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Asian Military Review.
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Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Asian Military Review.
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SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE
Top attack munitions are now widely developed for different artillery calibers with varied ranges.
NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT
Fused and enhanced night-vision technology will make the difference to soldiers fighting at night.
MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'
New rotorcraft are going to come with new abilities founded on open systems that provide easier upgrade paths and cheaper through life costs.
INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is growing apace, especially in China. New longer range ISR platforms are also on the procurement list of several nations.
TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS
United States President Joe Biden has made it a top priority of his Administration to repair and re-energize global alliances during its first year in power. This is a necessary strategic and political calculus made in light of growing global security, public health, and environmental challenges that will require cooperation and multilateral contributions. President Trump’s ‘America first’ policy did much to undermine confidence in such relationships over his time in office.
SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING
The return of Great Power competition means that US SOCPAC is more than ever seeking joint training opportunities with regional special forces.
MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS
Navies not only want more engine power, there are also coming under increasing pressure to become environmentally conscious.
AMPHIBIOUS FORCES
New amphibious concepts are re-shaping marine forces to break the A2AD defensive line.
SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH
Owning satellite based ISR for military use is still an exclusive ‘club’, but airborne ISR still provides that most countries need.
SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME
While experience grows among Indo-Pacific naval designers, order numbers remain crucial to keeping costs down and yards in business.
