Tag Archives: directed energy weapons

A large city with a bunch of flying objects

Directed Energy Weapons

Categories, War At The Speed Of Light, ,

This is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of my new book, War at the Speed of Light. Enjoy!

The devastation of war is always about energy. This statement is true historically, as well as today. For example, most of the massive destruction during World War II resulted from dropping conventional bombs on an adversary. To understand the role energy plays in this type of devastation, consider the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched 353 bombers and torpedo bombers in two waves from six aircraft carriers.[i] Their bombs and torpedoes incorporated Trinitroanisole, a chemical compound.[ii] The vast devastation caused by unleashing the energy in Trinitroanisole’s chemical compound resulted in sinking twelve ships and damaging nine others.[iii] The attacks also destroyed one hundred and sixty aircraft and damaged another one hundred fifty.[iv] Over two thousand three hundred Americans lost their lives during the attack.[v]

A near-perfect example of energy’s devastation is the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. These bombs were different from those that preceded them. They derived their destructive force from nuclear fission or the splitting of atoms. In simple terms, it requires energy to hold an atom together. A fast-moving subatomic particle causes the atom to split into its subatomic particles, termed nuclear fission, releasing the energy binding the atom together. We know from Einstein’s famous mass-energy equivalent formula E = mc2 that even a small amount of mass (m) converted to energy (E) yields an enormous amount of energy. The reason for this is that mass is multiplied by the speed of light (c) squared (i.e., times itself). The velocity of light is a large number approximately equal to 186,000 miles per second. Doing the math yields an enormous amount of energy from a relatively small amount of mass. Examining the bombs demonstrates this point. Each used fissionable material measuring less than two hundred pounds yet unleashed the devastation of fifteen to twenty thousand tons of TNT.

I know it is unusual to think about destruction as related to energy, but that is a fact of war. From the first caveman that used a rock to kill an adversary to a sniper’s bullet, it all has to do with energy. In the case of the rock and bullet, their kinetic energy (a function of their mass and velocity) inflicts wounds. Think of any weapon, except biological and chemical weapons, from the earliest of times to the present, and you face one inescapable conclusion; it relies on some form of energy to carry out its mission.

If you are a Star Trek fan, you are aware that the Starship Enterprise and its crew did not use anything that resembled conventional weapons, such as guns or nuclear weapons. Also, the Enterprise did not have traditional armor plating. In the science fiction series Star Trek, we see the crew using handheld phasers, which could be set to kill or stun. The phasers, set to kill, are a fictional extrapolation of real-life lasers. When set to stun, the phasers are comparable to real-life microwave weapons that have a stunning effect.[vi] In place of missiles, the Enterprise fired photon torpedoes. These are similar to the missiles military warplanes and warships fire, except the warhead is not a conventional or nuclear explosive. The photon torpedo warhead consisted of antimatter, which has the destructive property of annihilating matter (i.e., converting it to energy). Lastly, in place of armor plating, the Enterprise used a fictional force field to shield the ship, which is similar to the real-life Active Protection Systems[vii] deployed to protect US military vehicles. In essence, Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek exposed its viewers to directed energy weapons.

1 Mark Parillo, Why Air Forces Fail: the Anatomy of Defeat, (The University Press of Kentucky, 2006): 288

[ii] Mark Chambers, Wings of the Rising Sun: Uncovering the Secrets of Japanese Fighters and Bombers of World War II, (Osprey Publishing, 2018): 282

[iii] The Library of Congress, “The Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941,” http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_pearlhar_1.html (accessed December 17, 2018)

[iv] Library of Congress, “The Japanese Attacked”

[v] Library of Congress, “The Japanese Attacked”

[vi] David Martin, “The Pentagon’s Ray Gun,” CBSN, February 29, 2008, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-pentagons-ray-gun

[vii]  Allison Barrie, “’Force field’ technology could make US tanks unstoppable,” Fox News, August 2, 2018, https://www.foxnews.com/tech/force-field-technology-could-make-us-tanks-unstoppable (accessed December 18, 2018)

A red light is shining on the dark background.

Here’s Why The US Is Pursuing Directed Energy Weapons

Categories, Technology, War, War At The Speed Of Light, , , ,

This is an excerpt from the introduction of my new book, War At The Speed Of Light.

As the US’ most capable potential adversaries deploy missile defenses that could threaten its advanced weapons systems, such as Ford-class aircraft carriers and B-2 stealth bombers, the US is developing countermeasures. Current countermeasures rely on anti-ballistic missile defense systems, such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). These countermeasures primarily use missiles to destroy missiles, which is akin to using bullets to stop bullets.

Unfortunately, these countermeasures do not cover the complete threat spectrum. For example, THAAD is only effective against short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, not against intercontinental ballistic missiles. Also, the countermeasures can be an expensive deterrent. For example, in 2017, a US ally used a Patriot missile, priced at about three million dollars, to shoot down a small enemy quadcopter drone, available on Amazon for about two hundred dollars. Of course, the quadcopter drone had no chance against the Patriot, a radar-targeted missile more commonly used to shoot down enemy aircraft and ballistic missiles. The military terms this “overkill.” In theory, the enemy could order more of the two hundred dollar quadcopter drones from Amazon or eBay until they exhaust the US and its allies’ stock of Patriot missiles.

Given the expense of using missiles to counter enemy missiles and drones, along with their ineffectiveness across the entire threat spectrum, the US military is turning to laser and other directed energy weapons. While the price tag for hypersonic missiles continues to soar, approaching six hundred million per missile, the cost per laser pulse continues to drop, approaching about one dollar per shot. In addition, the US military feels that directed energy weapons will be effective against the entire threat spectrum, from intercontinental ballistic missiles to drone swarms.

A colorful star with many lines coming out of it.

Laser Weapons Project Devastation At The Speed Of Light

Categories, War, War At The Speed Of Light, , ,

This is an excerpt from the introduction of my new book, War At The Speed Of Light:

Potential US adversaries, like China and Russia, are developing and deploying supersonic (i.e., faster than the speed of sound) and hypersonic missiles (i.e., five or more times faster than the speed of sound) as a means to destroy US aircraft, drones, missiles, aircraft carriers, and space-based assets, such as GPS and communication satellites. To counter this threat, the United States is developing and deploying laser weapons. However, the development of laser weapons is in its infancy. For example, in December 2014, the United States Navy installed the first-ever laser weapon on the USS Ponce. In field-testing, the United States Navy reported that the laser system worked perfectly against low-end asymmetric threats, such as small unmanned aerial vehicles. Following the field tests, the Navy authorized the commander of the Ponce to use the system as a defensive weapon. However, this is just the beginning. The US Navy’s strategy is to develop higher energy laser systems with the capability to destroy an adversary’s “carrier killer” missiles, as well as other asymmetric threats such as hypersonic missiles. In January 2018, the Navy contracted Lockheed Martin to deliver two HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) systems by 2021. The Navy intends to deploy one on the USS Preble Arleigh Burke destroyer. The other will be land-based at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico for testing. In the 2020s, the US military plans to usher in the widespread use of laser weapons on land, sea, air, and space. It is reasonable to assume that these new lasers will continue the US military thrust to develop and deploy laser weapon systems capable of destroying an adversary’s supersonic, hypersonic, and intercontinental ballistic missiles, drone swarms, and space assets.

In addition to lasers, the US military is pursuing a full spectrum of directed energy weapons, including microwave, EMP, and cyberspace weapons.

 

Two crossed lightsaber swords in front of a space background.

An Extract From the Intro of War At The Speed Of Light

Categories, Technology, War, War At The Speed Of Light, , , , ,

The pace of warfare is accelerating. In fact, according to the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization, “So fast will be this process [command and control decision-making], especially if coupled to automatic decisions to launch artificially intelligent autonomous weapons systems capable of lethal outcomes, that a new term has been coined specifically to embrace the speed at which war will be waged: hyperwar.”

The term “hyperwar” adequately describes the quickening pace of warfare resulting from the inclusion of AI into the command, control, decision-making, and weapons of war. However, to my mind, it fails to capture the speed of conflict associated with directed energy weapons. To be all-inclusive, I would like to suggest the term “c-war.” In Einstein’s famous mass-energy equivalent equation, E = mc2, the letter “c” is used to denote the speed of light in a vacuum. [For completeness, E means energy and m mass.] Surprisingly, the speed of light in the Earth’s atmosphere is almost equal to its velocity in a vacuum. On this basis, I believe c-war more fully captures the new pace of warfare.

Unfortunately, c-war, war at the speed of light, may remove human judgment from the realm of war altogether, which could have catastrophic ramifications. If you think this is farfetched, consider this Cold War account, where new technology almost plunged the world into nuclear war. This historical account is from RAND Corporation, a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis:

Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov settled into the commander’s chair in a secret bunker outside Moscow. His job that night was simple: Monitor the computers that were sifting through satellite data, watching the United States for any sign of a missile launch. It was just after midnight, Sept. 26, 1983.

A siren clanged off the bunker walls. A single word flashed on the screen in front of him.

“Launch.”

Petrov’s computer screen now showed five missiles rocketing toward the Soviet Union. Sirens wailed. Petrov held the phone to the duty officer in one hand, an intercom to the computer room in the other. The technicians there were telling him they could not find the missiles on their radar screens or telescopes.

It didn’t make any sense. Why would the United States start a nuclear war with only five missiles? Petrov raised the phone and said again:

“False alarm.”

For a few terrifying moments, Stanislav Petrov stood at the precipice of nuclear war. By mid-1983, the Soviet Union was convinced that the United States was preparing a nuclear attack. The computer system flashing red in front of him was its insurance policy, an effort to make sure that if the United States struck, the Soviet Union would have time to strike back.

But on that night, it had misread sunlight glinting off cloud tops.

“False alarm.” The duty officer didn’t ask for an explanation. He relayed Petrov’s message up the chain of command.

The world owes Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov an incalculable debt. His judgment spared the world a nuclear holocaust. Now, ask yourself this simple question: If those systems Petrov monitored were autonomous (i.e., artificially intelligent), would they have initiated World War III? I believe this is a profound question, and that it is possible to make persuasive arguments on either side. However, would you want to leave the fate of the world to an artificially intelligent system?

I have devoted a significant portion of my career to developing AI for military applications. My experience leads me to conclude today’s technology cannot replicate human judgment. Therefore, I think an AI system replacing Petrov may have initiated World War III. I also believe US military planners are acutely aware of this and are taking steps to defend the US against such a mishap. As we discussed earlier, their actions could disrupt the doctrine of MAD, which prevents nuclear war via the threat of mutually assured destruction. Some term this “the balance of terror.” If any country were able to disrupt the doctrine of MAD, they would tilt the balance of terror.