The application of laser in military
Any high-tech technology will be applied in the military. At present, the application of laser technology in the military has made great progress, which has covered various fields such as reconnaissance and positioning, communication, guidance, fire control, laser weapons, etc.
1.Laser guidance
Laser guidance is the use of lasers to control and guide the missile until it destroys the target. In the past, infrared guidance was used, but now laser guidance is used.
According to the research, the infrared ray is greatly affected by the weather; The laser with wavelength of 0.8-1.8 micron is also easy to be absorbed by clouds, fog, rain, etc., with low transmittance; But lasers in the 10.6 micron band can be used in poor visibility conditions and can be used all day long.
Laser beam has strong directivity and narrow beam, so laser guidance precision is high and anti-interference ability is strong.
Laser guidance is a new technology developed in the 1960s. There are many ways to use laser guidance. Laser guidance has been used in air-to-ground and surface-to-air missiles, aerial bombs, anti-tank missiles and many other technologies.
(1) .Laser beam guidance
The tail of the missile is equipped with a laser receiver, which receives the diffuse laser beam and analyzes and processes it. When the missile flies away from the target at the center of the beam, the receiver will calculate the size and direction of the missile body deviating from the center line, forming a control signal and controlling the missile to fly along the center line of the beam until the target is destroyed.
How do you crack laser guidance?
Method one is for the guidance station. The control station had to fire a laser beam to control the missile's flight, so people figured out a way to throw black smoke around the target. The control station couldn't find the exact spot to hit, and the guidance lost its accuracy.
Method two is for missiles. The laser beam emitted by the control station irradiates on the target, and the diffuse reflection of the laser beam is accepted by the signal receiver of the missile, so as to control the flight direction of the missile, so that the destruction of the light signal receiving effect of the missile is also an effective way. Research shows that the "lamp black coating" is very poor to the wavelength of 10.6 micron laser reflection, with this coating to cover the surface of the object being attacked, the missile can not well accept the control signal, naturally lost the accuracy of the attack.
()
(2) Optical fiber guidance
Using optical fiber, transmission control missiles to hit targets, mainly for tanks, but also can hit low flying helicopters.
The missile has a low-light television camera or infrared imaging seeker on the head and a coil of optical fiber on the tail linked to the launch control. When the missile flies, the optical fiber is released from the tail, and the camera of the seeker transmits the target image to the launching control device, analyzes and processes the information from the optical fiber, and then transmits the control instruction to the guidance system of the missile through the optical fiber to control the missile hitting the target.
Because of the large amount of information transmitted by optical fiber, wide frequency band, low power consumption and minimal radiation, optical fiber guided missile has strong target identification ability, high guidance accuracy, good anti-interference and high hit rate.
Fiber - optic guidance is used to attack low - altitude and ground targets that rely on terrain for shelter. For example, to attack tanks hidden in the opposite gully, ground-launched or air-launched fiber-optic guided missiles could be used.
This guidance method requires the missile to carry several kilometers of optical fiber, which is soft and thin and easy to do.
Fiber optic guidance can't be cracked.
2.Laser ranging and lidar
The principle of laser ranging is the same as microwave radar ranging, but compared with ordinary ranging, laser ranging has the advantages of far, accurate, fast, anti-interference, no blind area and so on.
Laser ranging has been widely used in conventional weapons and tends to replace common optical ranging. The first generation of ruby laser ranging, poor concealment (red light), damage to the human eye, and low efficiency, has been eliminated. The second generation of crystal laser ranging equipment has been widely used, but it also has certain damage to human eyes. Currently, the third generation of laser ranging is being developed, which is harmless to human eyes. It will gradually replace the second generation of laser ranging equipment.
Similar to microwave radar, lidar scans an area with a narrow laser beam to obtain height data of the topography and map the topography in three dimensions.
Lidar has advantages in high precision and imaging. Its ranging accuracy can reach centimeters or even millimeters, nearly 100 times higher than microwave radar. The accuracy of angular velocity measurement is more than 100 million times higher than microwave radar in theory, and now it has been 1000~10000 times higher.
Laser radar, with the general radar are very similar to the working principle of special point is that only with laser as the source, the is emitted by a laser pulse laser and hit the ground on the trees, roads, Bridges and buildings, diffuse, part of the light will reflect on laser radar receiver, according to the principle of laser range calculation, get the distance from the laser radar to the target point.
Laser ranging is used for many examples in life, such as a surface structure (such as keys) data measurement and replication, such as three-dimensional object shape scanning imaging, such as infrared laser imaging, face recognition, autopilot radar and so on.
3.Laser detection and countermeasures
Photoelectric reconnaissance device and photoelectric aiming equipment is commonly used in military, is based on, with the design of laser detection using laser a feature in the air target, using the echo of optical lens to accept, than ordinary light feature - times more diffuse echo after the goal, is like the cat's eye in the dark night bright, known as "cat's eye effect". The cat's eye effect is the characteristic of special frequency laser, which can be used for optical scanning reconnaissance of the enemy.
Laser active reconnaissance uses a continuous laser to scan an area.
If the enemy's photoelectric scanning equipment is working, because the spectrum of the enemy's photoelectric equipment is similar, the spectrum of the enemy's photoelectric equipment will show up in the echo of our scan, so that we can determine the position of the equipment and what they are aiming at. It can then be destroyed with laser blinding weapons, or it can be interfered with by jammers.
Laser scanning equipment can be used to learn the terrain of the enemy.
In order to interfere with the laser reconnaissance, the stealth coating of the target to be protected is needed, and the structure of the target to be protected can also be changed to reduce the laser reflection cross section.
4.laser weapons
Lasers can concentrate high energy in a small area, so lasers can be used to make weapons.
(1) laser aiming
The gun is equipped with a semiconductor laser sight, firing infrared laser at the target, the target is not felt, the sight of the night vision goggles can see the laser spot on the target. This method can solve the problem of aimed fire at night.
(2)laser gun
Laser gun is a kind of high-energy laser weapon, using powerful laser beam, directionally fired, directly damage the target.
Laser cannon can destroy or kill enemy aircraft, missiles, satellites and other large targets, but also can be used in the battlefield to attack a variety of common targets, and even can be extended to all battlefield tools.
Laser cannons can be mounted on land; It can be installed on large ships, but studies show that there are thermal halos generated by land influence offshore, which limit the development of sea-based laser weapons; If the laser cannon is to be installed on the aircraft, it requires a small laser cannon.
To manufacture laser gun, one is to solve the problem of high power laser, this problem can be solved with large solid laser; Second, we need to solve the problem that super electric energy can be stored, instantly released and repeatedly released.
One of the most likely options for small, high-power lasers is the "chemical laser," which produces lasers directly from chemical reactions and is now available at the megawatt level. Another option is to use superconducting energy hoarders to drive solid-state lasers to produce high-power lasers.
5.Space-based laser weapons
The U.S. plan for space-based operations, proposed in 1983, actually involves placing laser weapons on satellites. Low Earth orbit satellites, which are close to the target, can improve the killing ability of laser weapons, but dozens of satellites are needed to cover the world. The program envisions chemical lasers with highly efficient tracking and targeting devices.
The key technologies of each sub-system of laser combat satellite have been demonstrated and verified. There are many reasons why it has not been deployed so far. Many satellites cost a lot of money, it is difficult to carry weapons into the sky, and it is difficult to replenish chemical fuel.
The United States' space-based warfare plan is so ambitious that it is bound to be "ideal" because it aims to establish a comprehensive missile defense system, to easily destroy enemy ground targets, and to control the air in space.
Has it ever occurred to the US that it would be easy if it destroyed enemy targets, but it would be much easier if the enemy destroyed US satellites if war broke out, after all, it would not be too difficult to set up a laser cannon on the ground to destroy near-earth satellites.
6.Current situation of laser weapons in China
China's laser weapon development began in March 1964, but made great progress after the reform and opening up. In March 1986, the "High Technology Research and Development Program (863 Program)" was launched, and laser technology is one of the subjects.
5. Space-based laser weapon
The space-based warfare plan proposed by the United States in 1983 actually deployed laser weapons on satellites. If Low-Earth orbit satellite, which is close to the target, is conducive to improving the lethality of laser weapons, but it needs several Ten satellites can cover the world. The plan is expected to use chemical lasers and high-efficiency tracking and targeting devices.
The key technologies of each sub-system of the laser combat satellite have been demonstrated and verified. The reasons for the failure to deploy so far are many. The cost of satellites is high, it is difficult to carry weapons to the sky, and it is difficult to replenish chemical fuels. , In short, it is more difficult to burn more money.
The United States’ space-based combat plan has the purpose of dominance. It must be used to establish a complete missile defense system, it must be used to easily destroy the enemy’s ground targets, and it must be used to control space. Domination in the air is too ambitious and must be "ideal".
Has the United States ever thought that it would be easy for the United States to destroy the enemy’s goal, but once a war breaks out, the enemy’s destruction of American satellites is easier to achieve? It is not too difficult to build a laser cannon to destroy near-Earth satellites on the ground.
6. The status quo of laser weapons in my country
The development of laser weapons in China first began in March 1964, but greater progress was made after the reform and opening up. In March 1986, the “High-Tech Research and Development Program” was launched. (863 Program)", laser technology is one of the subjects.
How high is the level of laser weapons in China? Due to technical secrecy, it is impossible to know for sure. However, the domestic official media's evaluation of the late optical expert Ma Zuguang is that Ma Zuguang Any subject involved is the frontier technology of the world's military struggles, a frontier technology related to space competition and nuclear strikes. Military analysts believe that China has focused on solving a number of major issues that need to be resolved in the application of military laser engineering. Able to reach a level and degree that other countries cannot.
At the end of 2014, the main participant of China’s "Shenguang" (nuclear fusion) project, the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics developed the ultra-short and ultra-strong The laser has achieved 1000 trillion watts of laser pulse output, which is the highest power output of similar lasers in the world so far. Imagine, is it difficult to use this super-powered laser in a laser cannon? Using a ground-based laser cannon to destroy an earth satellite Is it difficult?
Some analysts claim that China’s super-powered solid-state lasers are world-class. The laser beams emitted by them can obtain an energy density of 35K joules per square centimeter at a distance of 3,000 kilometers, which is better than destroying The energy density necessary to attack missiles is one order of magnitude higher. Based on this rough calculation, the effective lethality of China's attack lidar exceeds 30,000 kilometers (the altitude of the synchronous earth satellite is 35,000 kilometers).
The German media claimed that “China is the most powerful opponent of the United States in laser weapon research and development, and has left the United States a few blocks away in certain areas.” Some military experts revealed that China’s laser weapons level It is already “ranked among the best in the world.” Some international military observers said that China is developing a heavy strategic laser weapon system that is mainly used to destroy enemy military satellites and "space stations" in wartime.
As for conventional laser weapons, our military Type 99 main battle tank has been equipped with "Laser suppression viewing system". This system is composed of Master computer, laser transmitter, The thermal imager and the jammer are usually installed at the rear left of the tank turret On the rotating platform, both the commander and the gunner can operate. According to estimates, the device can continuously launch 100Megajoules around power blueThe green laser is powerful enough to burn enemy soldiers 2 kilometers away Retina, or directly damage the opposing optoelectronic equipment.