Israel Combines Laser Beams For More Powerful Laser Beams

Israel’s Defense Ministry and defense companies Rafael and Elbit Systems and academic institutions made a combat laser breakthrough. It is based on the precision of the laser beam, which can be focused on long-range targets and which can overcome atmospheric disturbances such as clouds and dust storms. They are able to take several laser beams and, with an advanced algorithm, connect them to get one strong beam that is able to intercept and take down a variety of threats. Based on high-energy electric lasers rather than chemical laser technology, the robust system will complement the other layers of Israel’s aerial defenses and will be a strategic change in the defense capabilities of the state.

As a result of the breakthrough, the ministry has launched three programs for the development of high-energy laser demonstration systems in cooperation with the two companies: a ground-based laser system to complement the capabilities of the Iron Dome, development of a maneuverable platform-mounted laser system to defend troops in the field and the development of a laser demo system mounted on an air platform to intercept threats above cloud covers and for the defense of wide areas.

This is somewhat like a real-life version of the concept of combining beams of the super laser of the Death Star.

18 thoughts on “Israel Combines Laser Beams For More Powerful Laser Beams”

  1. You are most likely not directly in front of it, you are aiming at a critical point of the warhead, and it is not at the front.

  2. Forgive a naive suggestion, but would it not be possible to just aim the individual lasers at the same target? Must they be combined before sending it out? After all, it the beam diameter is a meter of so at the sender doesn’t matter as long as the spot is small at the target..?

  3. IPG Photonics is supplying the laser components for U.S. military arms development. Their fiber lasers have exceeded 50% efficiency. A good quality beam can be as high as 10kW from an individual fiber.

    There are two approaches to beam combining. One seeks to phase synchronize the beams from all fibers of the same frequency of operation, such as to gain a single coherent beam.

    The other approach combines the output of all the fibers, each of which operates on slightly different frequency, taking advantage of the varied response to the refraction of the optical combiner. The individual beams in this case do not interact to result in dispersion.

  4. A high energy laser shot tends to generate a high density plasma just above an abated surface. The accelerated electrons become attuned to the laser radiation, and re-radiate the laser energy. In effect the generated plasma acts as a mirror.

  5. Are you aware that in point defense scenarios you always aiming at the front of the incoming round? And at this distances beam has diameter measured in cm. With enough energy density in a beam you can heat whole front of the round with (suprise, suprise) the detonator at the tip.

  6. What are you reciting? are you aware that you need to focus a laser on a specific point on the object for a sufficient time to heat it up?

  7. Shooting artillery with a chemical laser is old school from two decades ago—try to keep up. The new thing is combining diode-pumped fiber optic lasers to gain the short interval deliver on target to overcome the plasma plume issue.

  8. I guess that a system like that will not be effective against cannon shells as they rotate while flying, and you cannot focus the laser on one point and the same will happen with rockets if you make them rotate.

  9. Depends on how tightly integrated the array component is, like the Rheinmetal turret or DARPA Excalibur, or something more flexible.

  10. In other words just like the Rheinmetal lase array effort and so many other companies.

    This piece seems thin even as a flier for funding requests but I guess Iranian missiles flying hither and yon have stirred things up.
    ThT

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