Are we really at the dawn of a new era of war? Just a year and a half has passed since that September 2023 where, for the first time in history, soldiers (US ones) were equipped with operational laser weapons.
A moment that the generals called “historic,” but which to me seemed like yet another episode in a story that began forty years ago. Dazzled by the allure of technology, we risk not seeing reality: laser weapons continue to promise much more than they can deliver. This technology, abandoned in the 80s for good reasons, is returning to prominence today not so much for its own merits, but for the emergence of new threats (such as drones) and the growing gaps in existing air defense systems.
But are we sure that technological advances have really made lasers suitable for military use? Or are we witnessing a desperate attempt to adopt less-than-perfect military hardware? 10 reasons to think about.
1. Laser weapons are nothing new, but old dreams dusted off
Military lasers are by no means a revolutionary novelty. The history of the militarization of lasers dates back to the 80s, with the Strategic Defense Initiative of Ronald Reagan (remember? The famous “Star Wars” project). This ambitious program aimed to create a defense system against nuclear missiles, but despite the billions invested, it was abandoned in 1993 without concrete results.
The military has revived this old technology primarily because, as noted, new threats have exposed the gaps in existing air defense systems. It’s not so much a technological breakthrough as a desperate response to an urgent problem.
2. Physics is still an insurmountable obstacle
The phenomenon of “thermal flowering” (thermal bloom) represents one of the major technical problems. This physical phenomenon causes the laser beam to disperse in the atmosphere, drastically reducing its effectiveness. It was an insurmountable problem in the 80s and, Surprisingly, it still is today.
At a certain energy density (about 1 megawatt per cubic centimeter), the laser begins to interact with the atmosphere, losing effectiveness proportionally to the distance traveled. No practical solution has yet been found.
3. Weather conditions ruin everything
Anything that gets between the laser and the target will drastically reduce its effectiveness. Smoke, fog, rain, dust - all factors that can render even the most powerful laser weapons completely useless.
A thick smoke is all it takes to completely neutralize even an ultra-powerful laser.
4. Crazy energy consumption for modest results
Military lasers require enormous amounts of energy to operate. A laser weapon like Helios, for example, is about to be upgraded to 300 kilowatts (equivalent to the total consumption of 30-40 modern homes), but its power lasts only a few seconds.
At the moment, the energy efficiency of the best lasers is around 50%, which means that half of the energy is lost as heat, requiring complex water cooling systems.
5. The actual range of laser weapons is much less than declared
When we hear about lasers that are effective at 8 kilometers, as in the case of Helios, we should add an asterisk (see point 3): “only in perfect atmospheric conditions”. The actual range is often limited to one or two kilometers due to thermal bloom (see point 2).
6. Countermeasures to laser weapons are surprisingly simple
A reflective coating or even a mirror can disable billion-dollar laser weapons. Materials such as silver, diamonds, carbon fiber, and rare earths can withstand a wide range of lasers.
To destroy a target, a laser must maintain constant contact for several seconds, sometimes up to 30 or more. If the target has a coating that extends this “kill time,” it can distract the weapon from hitting other targets.
7. Maintenance problems are huge
Maintenance of lasers is significantly more complex than that of traditional weapons. Replacing a component is a delicate and time-consuming process, often well beyond the skills of the average military technician. The mass deployment of these laser weapons would simply create a terrifying gap in the skills needed to maintain them.
8. No, laser guns don't exist (and won't any time soon)
Despite Star Trek and other fictional works having depicted them for 60 years, laser weapons powerful enough to kill a human still cannot be carried by a single person. Let alone fit in a pocket or a bag.
The limitations of battery technology make it impossible to build laser pistols, rifles, swords, and other weapons in the near future.
9. The “infinite charger” is a myth
The idea that lasers can fire infinite times as long as they have energy is theoretically true but practically as false as an 18 euro note. Lasers mounted on vehicles like the DM Shorad They are powered by batteries that require frequent recharging.
Ship-mounted lasers, such as the Helios I mentioned above, use existing electrical grid power, but there is no information on what type of cooling system they use or whether cool-down periods are required between pulses.
10. The results of laser weapons on the battlefield are very poor
Despite the investments, the concrete results are few. Turkey claims to have shot down a drone with a laser in real war conditions, but the details remain vague.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force canceled the SHIELD program to mount lasers on aircraft without ever producing even a prototype (only to later announce the presence of laser weapons on the new sixth-generation fighter, the F-47). I talked about here).
The truth is that, despite all the technological advances, laser weapons remain fundamentally inadequate compared to current alternatives. Until there is a radical technological breakthrough, they will continue to be more of a symbol of technological prestige than truly effective instruments of war.
