Is Pakistan working on Laser Technology?

[VelocuR]

Future Laser Technology - Game Changer

Just curious if Pakistan is working on Laser technology to shoot down incoming nuclear missiles, ballistic missiles, or any objects? I believe, it will be game-changer and more capable to shoot down missiles or nuclear missiles more easily next 30 years. Should we give up our nuclear missiles technology for laser weapons?

Examples some countries already has tested their laser technology.

The US this week achieved a goal that has eluded it since Ronald Reagan's Star Wars programme by knocking out a ballistic missile using a high-powered laser beam mounted on a plane.

The successful test was carried out yesterday in California, the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) said, making real what had previously been confined to the realms of science fiction.

The plane uses a combination of lasers to lock on to the missile and track its trajectory, and then bring it down with a single shot fired from the nose turret, all in less than 12 seconds.

More details- US 'Star Wars' lasers bring down ballistic missile | Science | The Guardian

The 150-kilowatt lasers would represent a new class of weapons 10 times smaller and lighter than current lasers of similar power, according to the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Pentagon agency issued a special notice on Jan. 17 for General Atomics - Aeronautical Systems Incorporated to build a second laser weapon so that both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy could carry out laser tests by 2014.

US military to test lasers on warplanes in 2014 | Fox News

“These initial flight tests validate the performance of our ABC turret design, which is an enabler for integrating high energy lasers on military aircraft,” said Doug Graham, vice president of advanced programs, Strategic and Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

The ABC turret system is designed to allow high-energy lasers to engage enemy aircraft and missiles above, below and behind the aircraft. Lockheed Martin’s flow control and optical compensation technologies counteract the effects of turbulence caused by the protrusion of a turret from an aircraft’s fuselage.

Lockheed Martin Conducts Flight Tests Of Aircraft Laser Turret For Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency · Lockheed Martin

The U.S. Navy is has declared an experimental laser weapon on its Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Persian Gulf an operational asset and U.S. Central Command has given permission for the commander of the ship to defend itself with the weapon.

US Navy reveals boat mounted laser that can shoot down drones and boats | Daily Mail Online

Airborne Laser Test Bed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment

The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Test Bed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile. The experiment, conducted at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast, serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology. The ALTB is a pathfinder for the nation’s directed energy program and its potential application for missile defense technology.

New Airborne Laser TestBed Footage, Missile Shot Down

Airborne laser shoots down missile in mid-flight - CSMonitor.com

 

[Imtiaz_Sarwar]

A good introductory article. If Pakistan is not working on this kind of weapon, then if better start working soon. If India gets this technology before we do, we will be in big trouble. Pakistan does have the resources to get started. It will take many years to have a working device in the field. As a nation our response should be proactive rather than reactive.

 

[jammersat]

Laser can be decent weapon in hands of like iran and pakistan who don't have experince with SAMs and who have to beg russia for every new SAM , like uncle SAM

 

[Indian Patriot]

Laser weapons are already in use, just not in the manner shown in sci-fi movies or novels. USA has pushed the bar up, you can expect Russia to come up with something similar.

 

[jammersat]

Even isreal is being tested with american laser systems , so you can expect isreal selling them at cheaper prices

 

[Darth Vader]

China , Russia , India , Israel Are developing
Uncle Sam already has opertional
Pakistan Dont think so maybe in next 5 to 10 years they might start working on it Currently Dont think so neither is thr any news about it

 

[SipahSalar]

I read in a news paper many years ago a report from Pentagon that mentioned Pakistan as one of the countries working on lasers and drones.

 

[Kompromat]

Never heard anything in this regard. Pakistan is working on EMP though.

 

[Agent Smith]

A good introductory article. If Pakistan is not working on this kind of weapon, then if better start working soon. If India gets this technology before we do, we will be in big trouble. Pakistan does have the resources to get started. It will take many years to have a working device in the field. As a nation our response should be proactive rather than reactive.

China , Russia , India , Israel Are developing
Uncle Sam already has opertional
Pakistan Dont think so maybe in next 5 to 10 years they might start working on it Currently Dont think so neither is thr any news about it

The KALI (Kilo Ampere Linear Injector) is a linear electron accelerator being developed in India, by the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Overview
The KALI is not a laser weapon as commonly believed. It emits powerful pulses of electrons (Relativistic Electron Beams- REB). Other components in the machine down the line convert the electron energy into EM Radiation, which can be adjusted to x-ray (as Flash X-Rays) or microwave (High Power Microwave) frequencies.

This has fueled hopes that the KALI could, one day be used in a High-Power Microwave gun, which could destroy incoming missiles and aircraft through soft-kill (destroying the electronic circuitry on the missile). However, weaponizing such a system has many obstacles to overcome.

History
The KALI project was first mooted in 1985 by the then Director of the BARC, Dr. R. Chidambaram. Work on the Project began in 1989, being developed by the Accelerators & Pulse Power Division of the BARC. (Dr. Chidambaram was also the Scientific advisor the Prime Minister, and the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission). DRDO is also involved with this project. It was initially developed for industrial applications, although defence applications became clearer later.

The first accelerators had a power of ~0.4GW, which increased as later versions were developed. These were the KALI 80, KALI 200, KALI 1000, KALI 5000 and KALI 10000.

The KALI-5000 was commissioned for use in late 2004.

Design
The KALI series (KALI 80, KALI 200, KALI 1000, KALI 5000 and KALI 10000) of accelerators are described as "Single Shot Pulsed Gigawatt Electron Accelerators".[3] They are single shot devices, using water filled capacitors to build the charge energy. The discharge is in the range of 1GW. Initially starting with 0.4GW power, present accelerators are able to reach 40GW. Pulse time is about 60 ns.

The Microwave radiations emitted by the KALI-5000 are in the 3–5 GHz Range

The KALI-5000 is a pulsed accelerator of 1 MeV electron energy, 50-100 ns pulse time, 40kA Current and 40 GW Power level. The system is quite bulky as well, with the KALI-5000 weighing 10 tons, and the KALI-10000, weighing 26 tons. They are also very power hungry, and require a cooling tank of 12,000 liters of oil. Recharging time is also too long to make it a viable weapon in its present form.

Applications
The KALI has been put to various uses by the DRDO. The DRDO was involved in configuring the KALI for their use.

The X-rays emitted are being used in Ballistics research as an illuminator for ultrahigh speed photography by the Defence Ballistics Research Institute (DBRL) in Chandigarh. The Microwave emissions are used for EM Research.

The microwave-producing version of Kali has also been used by the DRDO scientists for testing the vulnerability of the electronic systems of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which was then under development.

It has also helped in designing electrostatic shields to "harden" the LCA and missiles from microwave attack by the enemy as well as protecting satellites against deadly Electromagnetic Impulses (EMI) generated by nuclear weapons and other cosmic disturbances, which "fry" and destroy electronic circuits. Electronic components currently used in missiles can withstand fields of approx. 300 V/cm, while the fields in case of EMI attack reach thousands of V/cm.

As a Weapon
The KALI's potential for a military role as a beam weapon has made it, in the eyes of China, a threat. However, weaponisation of the KALI will take some time. The system is still under development, and efforts are being made to make it more compact as well as improve its recharge time, which, at the present, makes it only a single use system.

There are also issues with creating a complete system, which would require development of many more components. There have been reports of placing the weaponized KALI in an Il-76 aircraft as an airborne defence system. There is also speculation of using the KALI as an anti-satellite weapon and as a space-based weapon system, although it is unlikely that they would be implemented, given India's stance on those issues.

 

[black-hawk_101]

Pakistan might acquire it from China or may be a JV with GIDS.

 

[boomslang]

...Just curious if Pakistan is working on Laser technology...

Yes they are. Pakistan should have an operational laser pointer in about ten years.

 

[terry5]

Yes they are. Pakistan should have an operational laser pointer in about ten years.

we have the target

 

[boomslang]

we have the target

View attachment 190855

Do you aim for the dot ?

 

[Zarvan]

Never heard anything in this regard. Pakistan is working on EMP though.

And what is EMP ?

 

[Sliver]

And what is EMP ?

Elector Magnetic Pulse?