There is a report out of Libya that a Chinese-produced UAV, the Wing Loong being operated by pro-Khaftar forces was shot down by a combat laser, supplied by Turkey. While the target here was a UAV, there's no reason it can't be used against say a helicopter, or an unarmored ground vehicle. So far it apparently takes a certain amount of time to heat something up enough with a laser to do damage, but as the technology improves this will likely be less of an issue.
What do you guys think? Is this the beginning of ground-based lasers becoming a battle-field staple? How far are we from being able to destroy an armored vehicle or helicopter this way? The platforms being used to carry the current Turkish system are awfully small, just 4X4 MRAPs or armored cars. The previous attempts to build a tactical battlefield laser (at least to my knowledge, I may very well be missing something, and I am referring to projects that actually produced vehicles, not just paper) came from the Soviets and used armored tracked chassis from various SP arty and AA:
1K17 Compression tactical laser
Sangvin Anti-Aircraft Laser
1K11 Stilet Multipurpose Laser
To me this seems like an impressive level of miniaturization, and one that has come shockingly under the radar. The USN is experimenting with lasers in ship turrets, Russia is deploying giant and likely nuclear-powered lasers to (probably) blind satellites, but the Turks have something that would be far more ubiquitous if the technology can develop further in this direction.
Turkey uses laser weapon technology to shoot down Chinese UAV Wing Loong II in Libya | weapons defence industry military technology UK | analysis focus army defence military industry army
Пришествие боевых лазеров. 4 августа 2019 года
Turkish company successfully tests its new mobile laser weapon system – Defence Blog
What do you guys think? Is this the beginning of ground-based lasers becoming a battle-field staple? How far are we from being able to destroy an armored vehicle or helicopter this way? The platforms being used to carry the current Turkish system are awfully small, just 4X4 MRAPs or armored cars. The previous attempts to build a tactical battlefield laser (at least to my knowledge, I may very well be missing something, and I am referring to projects that actually produced vehicles, not just paper) came from the Soviets and used armored tracked chassis from various SP arty and AA:
1K17 Compression tactical laser
Sangvin Anti-Aircraft Laser
1K11 Stilet Multipurpose Laser
To me this seems like an impressive level of miniaturization, and one that has come shockingly under the radar. The USN is experimenting with lasers in ship turrets, Russia is deploying giant and likely nuclear-powered lasers to (probably) blind satellites, but the Turks have something that would be far more ubiquitous if the technology can develop further in this direction.
Turkey uses laser weapon technology to shoot down Chinese UAV Wing Loong II in Libya | weapons defence industry military technology UK | analysis focus army defence military industry army
Пришествие боевых лазеров. 4 августа 2019 года
Turkish company successfully tests its new mobile laser weapon system – Defence Blog