ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT : DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON

Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) System

1. Intro. Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) are specially designed

weapon systems to neutralise or damage targets by deploying concentrated
energy using particle beams, microwaves and lasers. These weapons possess
a significant edge over conventional weapons. DEWs are developed to transmit
lethal force at the speed of light, i.e. approximately 3,00,000 kilometres per second
and have laser-like precision. These weapons are not bogged down with range
limitations like atmospheric drag. The constraining effects of gravity do not hamper
the DEWs beam. The impact of this weapon varies based on the intensity and the
type of energy delivered to the target. These systems are being designed to
counter a myriad of munitions.

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Directed-energy weapons are already in service in the role of 'drone defence'

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systems. In such systems, laser beams are used to knock out parts of drones,

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which are becoming an integral part of the military arsenal of most nations.
However, their potential extends far beyond to being able to both destroy enemy
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targets and defend vital infrastructure from air and missile attack.
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2. Types of DEW

(a) LASER Weapon Systems (LaWS). As the name suggests, laser

weapons are based on laser beams fired from an apparatus. Although it’s
an offensive application, haven’t been demonstrated so far, it has been used
in other auxiliary applications such as the designation of high-value targets
for air-strikes and guiding missiles.

(b) Microwave DEW. Any weapon which has a microwave range

between 300MHz and 300 GHz is generally classified as a microwave
weapon. These DEW disrupt electronic components and can produce
graduated effects, depending upon the amount of energy that is directed.
 (c) Active Denial System. It is a millimetre wave source that heats the
water in a human target’s skin and causes incapacitating pain. Bofors HPM
Blackout is a high-powered microwave weapon that can destroy variety of
commercial electronic equipment, at a short distance.

(d) Particle-Beam DEW. Particle-beam DEW use a directed flow of

charged or neutral particles as a damaging factor. In the 1970s, the US was
simultaneously developing beam based devices of various kinds along with
other DEW. These DEW find application against ground forces, in aviation
and for targeting space- based assets.

(e) Plasma DEW. Plasma DEW fire a beam stream of plasma, which is
an excited state of matter consisting of atomic nuclei and free electrons. This
DEW offered long-range LASER accuracy, high rate of fire and “scalable
effects,” meaning that its lethality could be adjusted.

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Sonic DEW. Sonic DEW use sound as a means to injure, kill or

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(f)

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incapacitate, in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 30. The Nazis reportedly
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developed a sonic cannon capable of shooting down allied bombers.
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(g) Directional Atom. It involves creation of a special atomic warhead

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that transfers most explosion energy in a given direction. The most famous
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development is the American Project Casaba, which began in the 1950s.

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Global Scenario
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3. The US is spear heading DEW R&D. OSINT indicate that Iran and Turkey
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already possess DEWs in their arsenal. Ankara even claimed to have shot down
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an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with its laser weapon ALKA. Adding on to this
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new-age arms race in South Asia are geopolitical rivals India, Pakistan and China.
Russia, Germany and France are also developing military-grade DEWs. Given the
range of all significant arms-producing nations in the 21st century new-age
weapons race, the market size is exponential and is slated to grow.

4. DEW Market Forecast. According to a recent market forecast offered by

Research & Markets titled ‘Directed Energy Weapons Market: Global Industry
Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027,’ the global
DEWs market “reached a value of US$ 5.2 billion in 2021.” The report indicates
that “the market to reach US$ 15.5 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 19.63%
during 2022-2027.” The market report mentions key players in the defence and
aerospace sector like: Applied Companies, BAE Systems, L3 Harris Technologies
Inc, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Moog Inc, Northrop Grumman Corporation,
QinetiQ, Group PLC, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Rheinmetall
Aktiengesellschaft, Textron Inc, and the Boeing Company.
5. Atmanirbhar Bharat: Ongoing/ Future Projects.

(a) DRDO’s Counter IED 1 KW LASER. It enables remote disposal of

unexploded bombs, mines and IEDs at effective range of 30-250m.

(b) Kilo Ampere Linear Ejector (KALI). A particle accelerator DEW

being developed by DRDO and Bhabha Atomic Research Center. This DEW
will emit powerful electron pulses aimed towards destruction of incoming
missiles and aircraft by destroying on- board electronic circuits.

(c) Project Aditya. DRDO’s Laser Science and Technology Centre

(LASTEC) is working on Project Aditya under which it is developing gas
dynamic high power 100 kw LaWS.

(d) IR Dazzlers. DRDO is also reportedly working on IR dazzlers to take

on enemy aircraft and helicopters at 10 km and 25-kw LaWs to destroy

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missiles during their terminal phase at range of 5 to 7 km.

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(e) Directionally Unrestricted Ray-Gun Array (DURGA-II).
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KALI Series. KALI-80,
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KALI-200, KALI-1000, KALI-5000 and

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KALI-10000 of accelerators are

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described as “Single Shot Pulsed

Gigawatt Electron Accelerators”.
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They are single shot

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(a)
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devices, using water filled

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capacitors to build the charge

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energy.

(b) The discharge is in the range of 1GW. Initially starting with 0.4GW
power, present accelerators are able to reach 40GW.

(c) Pulse time is about 60 ns.

(d) The Microwave radiations of KALI-5000 are in the 3–5 GHz Range

(e) The KALI-5000 is a pulsed accelerator of 1 MeV electron energy, 50-

100 ns pulse time, 40kA Current and 40 GW Power level.

(f) KALI-5000 weighs 10 tons and the KALI-10000, weighs 26 tons.

(g) They are power hungry & require cooling tank of 12,000 ltr of oil.

(h) Recharging time is too long to make it a viable weapon.

7. DURGA-II. Ongoing research into the DURGA-II has reportedly taken on
since 2017. Some international media reports indicate that the Indian Army is
closer to receiving the indigenous laser weapon and may propel India to the elite
league of nations with DEW capabilities. It is a classified DRDO program, currently
in the concept stage. Details known are as under:-

(a) Projects is worth approx $100 million.

(b) DRDO is developing and improving various laser-generation

techniques using solid state, fibre and chemical lasers for defensive and
offensive use.

(c) DURGA-II is to be integrated with land- sea- and air-based platforms.

(d) LASTEC, Delhi is the lead laboratory in developing laser weapons,

which has so far made a 25- kilowatt laser that can target a ballistic missile

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during its terminal phase at a maximum distance of 5 kilometres.

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(e) DRDO tested 1kW truck-mounted laser weapon in Chitradurga, which
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was viewed as part of project DURGA with confirmed range of 250 metres.
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(a) It is designed to work in such a way that if a missile is launched in

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India’s direction, it will quickly emit powerful pulses of Relativistic Electrons

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Beams (REB).
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Advantages: DEW. DEWs advantages over conventional munitions are:

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(a) Transmit lethal force at the speed of light (about 300,000 kilometres
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per second).
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(b) Beams are not affected by the constraining effects of gravity or

atmospheric drag.

(c) Extremely precise.

(d) Effects can be tailored by varying the type and intensity of energy
delivered against targets."

(e) Stealth deployment, and if used right, comparatively less collateral

damage.

(f) Logistical problems of ammunition procurement are eliminated.

(g) Cheaper to operate than conventional weapons.

9. Challenges: DEW. High-power laser weapons are difficult to develop
due to following challenges: -

(a) Provision of adequate power to the system. Even more challenging is

to make a power source available on the battlefield, at all times.

(b) Developing a cooling

mechanism for the system that
heats up when the laser beam
is fired.

(c) Ensuring a focused

beam towards a distant target
and optoelectronics, or
optronic, involving lenses to
create that focus.

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(d) The research into DEW’s is a financially draining task.

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(e) The practical applications of some DEW’s are questionable
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(f) Counter against such weapons is not hard to come by. For example,
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laser beams can be weakened by water vapour and dust.

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(g) DEW could be made ineffective reasonably easily when it comes to

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missiles. An enemy could provide its missiles, aircraft etc with substantial
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protection from DEWs by simply adding a thicker, more rigid outer shield.
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This is because a laser can only obstruct a missile (or other adversary
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equipment) if it generates enough energy to cut through its electronics

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package.

(h) Moreover, since a laser weapon can only focus on one target at once,
many missiles from the adversary could overpower the DEWs defence. The
weapon concept has potential, but adequate research on how to make it a
viable practical reality seems to have a long road ahead.

10. Way Forward. The drone attacks in Jammu Airbase should be a wakeup
call for India’s security establishment and the decision makers. Such attacks are
likely to increase in due course as both military and non-state actors including
terrorists will opt for safer and cheaper options to target critical assets or spread
panic. Anti-drone systems and DEW could be the suitable answer for such future
threats. DEW provides a number of capabilities and advantages over traditional
weapons due to speed-of-light delivery, precision engagement, controlled/scalable
effects, logistical benefits of minimal replenishment and low cost per shot. In
addition, it’s an imperative for us to pursue and attain Atmanirbharta with vigour
and in time bound manner, in view of the capacities of our adversaries and futuristic
threats and developing geopolitical scenario.

Author

Col Apratim Sharma was commissioned into the Army Air Defence in 2001.

References: -

1. ‘Directed Energy Weapons Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth;
Research & Markets Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027.

2. Zohuri, Bahman. "High-Power Microwave Energy as Weapon." Directed-Energy

Beam Weapons, 2019, 269-308. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20794-6_4.

3. "Autonomous Flight Control for Drones using Instrumented Gloves Technology."

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2023. doi:10.2514/[Link].

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4. Dhavale, A. S., V. Sharma, and A. Sharma. "Development of scanning system for
industrial accelerator." Review of Scientific Instruments 92, no. 10 (2021).
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doi:10.1063/5.0056382.
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