After decade of research and development, Directed energy weapon are become an operational reality. Such weapons generate streams of electromagnetic energy that can precisely aimed over long distance to disable or destroy target. It is game changing technology in future.

1. A
SEMINAR REPORT
ON
“DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS”
SUBMITTED BY
BAIT VISHAL R.
(ROLL NO. 2141315)
UNDER GUIDANCE OF
PROF. A.M. KULKARNI
PROF. L.D.NAROTE
PROF. M.P.BHAGAT
DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING, LONERE
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS &
TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
2016-2017

2. INSTITUTE OF PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University)
Vidyavihar, Lonere, Tal-Mangaon, Dist-Raigad (Maharastra),
Lonere-402103
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the seminar entitled “DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS” is a
record of bonafide work carried out by Mast. Bait Vishal Rambhau (Roll no. 2141315) under
our guidance. This work is carried out in the requirement of partial fulfillment for the award of
Third Year Diploma in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering course of Institute Of
Petrochemical Engineering, Lonere, Raigad in the academic year 2016-2017.
PROF. A.M.KULKARNI PROF. L.D.NAROTE PROF. M.P.BHAGAT
(Guide) (Guide) (Guide)
Dr. D. G. JADHAV
(Head of Department)
Date: /10/201
PLACE - LONERE

3. INDEX
Content no. CONTENT NAME PAGE
NO.
LIST OF FIGURES 1
ABSTRACT 2
I. INTRODUCTION 2
II. WHAT IS DIRECTED ENERGY
WEAPON (DEW)? 2
III.
A
B
TYPES OF DEW
HIGH POWER MICROWAVE WEPONS
LASER WAEPONS
2
6
IV. EXAMPLE OF DEW PRESENT &
FUTURE
7
V. ADVANTAGE 7
VI. DISADVANTAGE 8
VII. APPLICATION 8
CONCLUSION 8
REFERENCE 9

5. 1
LIST OF FIGURE
Figure no. Name of figure Page no.
1 Microwave Weapon System 3
2 Marx bank power supply
arrangement
3
3 Marx generator APELC MG-
30-3C-100Nf
3
4 Virtual cathode oscillator 3
5 Conical horn antenna 4
6 Range vs. effect 5
7 Boeing YAL-1 airborne laser 6
8 Advance tactical laser (ATL) 6
9 Electromagnetic bomb
(E-Bomb)
7
10 Active Denial System (ADS) 7
11 PHAsR 7
12 ZM-87 portable laser 7
13 Laser weapons in different
Platform
8
14 HEL weapon destroying rocket 8

6. 2

Abstract—After decade of research and development, Directed
energy weapon are become an operational reality. Such weapons
generate streams of electromagnetic energy that can precisely
aimed over long distance to disable or destroy target. Two types
of devices is currently weaponized: high energy lasers and RF
weapons most commonly referred as microwave weapons. Laser
excites atoms to release the photons in powerful burst of coherent
light and that can be focused and aimed with mirrors. With
sufficient power, laser can quickly pierce or overheat a wide
range of range of target including missile, aircraft and artillery
round. RF weapons in lower frequency, longer wavelength
portion of electromagnetic spectrum to generate burst or beams
capable of disabling electronic system.
Index Terms—Weapon, Microwaves, Energy, Laser
I. INTRODUCTION
HE Electromagnetic spectrum is critical enabler of for
modern militaries, at once source of battle field
advantage. In 1956, early in the cold war and in the
context of maturing radar, navigation and communication
technologies, Soviet Admiral Sergei Gorshkov boldly declared
that “the next war will be won by whichever side best exploits
the electromagnetic spectrum.”
Directed-energy weapons have several advantages over
conventional munitions. First, they transmit lethal force at the
speed of light (about 300,000 kilometers per second). Second,
their beams are not affected by the constraining effects of
gravity or atmospheric drag. Third, they are extremely precise.
Fourth, their effects can be tailored by varying the type and
intensity of energy delivered against targets. Fifth, they have
deep magazines and relatively low cost per shot. Finally, they
are versatile in that they can be used both as sensing devices
and kill mechanisms.
However, directed-energy weapons also have drawbacks: laser
beams are weakened by water vapor, dust and other
obscurants, while radio-frequency emissions can be absorbed
by any conductive material between the weapon and the
target.
II. WHAT IS DEW?
Directed Energy (DE): An umbrella term covering
technologies that relate to the production of a beam of
concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic
particles.
Directed-Energy Device: A system using directed energy
primarily for a purpose other than as a weapon. Directed-
energy devices may produce effects that could allow the
Device to be used as a weapon against certain threats; for
example, laser range finders and designators used against
sensors that are sensitive to light.
Directed-Energy Warfare: Military action involving the use
of directed-energy weapons, devices, and counter measures to
either cause direct damage or destruction of enemy equipment,
facilities, and personnel, or to determine, exploit, reduce, or
prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum through
damage, destruction, and disruption.
It also includes actions taken to protect friendly equipment,
facilities, and personnel, as well as retain friendly use of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
Directed-Energy Weapon: A system using directed energy
primarily as a direct means to damage or destroy enemy
equipment, facilities, and personnel.
III. TYPES OF DEW
Directed energy weapons have two types first is High power
microwaves weapons and Laser weapons.
a. High power microwave weapons
In a future war where all sides depend heavily on electronic
systems, weaponry and command and control, a weapon that
disrupts and damages these systems will be extremely
valuable. If it can perform this function at the speed of light,
with minimal prior target information and with minimum
collateral damage.
1. Structure and Basic consideration
High-power microwaves (HPM) are another type of directed
energy weapon, having a much longer wavelength and much
lower frequency than the laser. Although the term microwave
technically only applies to the highest-frequency radio waves,
namely those operating in the gigahertz range, it has become
common place to refer to all directed-energy weapons
operating at radio frequencies as high-power microwaves.
Rather than operating in the infrared, visual, or ultra-violet
spectrum, high-power microwave weapons generate and
deliver electromagnetic waves in the microwave frequency
band from approximately 300 MHz to 300 GHz,
corresponding to wavelengths. High-power means that the
microwave source is able to generate a peak power of more
than 100 MW.
A typical high-power microwave weapons have following
“DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS”
V.R.Bait Prof. A.M.Kulkarni, Prof. L.D. Narote, Prof. M.P. Bhagat
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University’s Institute of Petrochemical Engineering, Lonere
T

7. 3
component show in figure.
Fig.1. Microwave Weapon System
HPM weapons Components
a) Pulse Power Source
Pulse power generator that drive the HPM sources are
generally required to deliver the short and intense electrical
pulses of 1MV with pulse duration of 1 Micro second.
Ways to Achieve
i. Capacitor based Charging
ii. Inductor Charging
iii. Flux Compression Generator
Fig. 2. Marx bank power supply arrangement
Required pulses are by using capacitor banks that transform a
slowly-rising low-voltage signal into a fast-rising high-voltage
signal. A common capacitor bank configuration is Marx bank
(Fig. 2) where the capacitors in the bank are connected in
parallel during the charging process and switched to a series
connection during discharge.
The series connection multiplies the voltage by the number of
capacitors in Marx bank. Resistive charging is slow and
therefore limits repetition rate. Inductors could also be used in
place of resistors. Inductor charging is preferred for higher
repetition rates of a few hertz or more. If Marx bank has n
capacitors with each charged to a voltage V from a DC power
supply, voltage delivered to the load during discharge would
theoretically be equal to n×V. Spark gaps are used as switches
and breakdown voltage of spark gaps is kept higher than the
voltage V across each capacitor. Initially, all capacitors are in
parallel and are charged to a voltage V. Spark gaps are in open
state. In order to initiate discharge, the first spark gap is
externally triggered to the breakdown state connecting the first
two capacitors in series and thereby raising the voltage across
the second spark gap to 2V.The second gap also goes to
breakdown state and the process continues till a voltage pulse
with amplitude equal to n×V is applied across the load. One
such Marx generator designed to drive HPM sources is
APELCMG20-22C-2000PF from Applied Physical
Electronics LC. This megavolt-class Marx generator with its
18-ohm source impedance is specifically designed to drive
low impedance loads. With a 50kV charge voltage it delivers a
500kV, 1.1 kJ pulse into a matched load with a peak power of
more than 12GW.This generator uses low-impedance,
parallel-switched topology, which makes it well-suited for a
wide variety of HPM applications.
Another Marx generator from the same company is MG30-
3C-100 nF (Fig. 3) that is capable of storing a maximum of
1.8 kJ and can deliver 300 kV to a matched load. This Marx
generator has low impedance of 33 ohms and is axially
compact in order to drive HPM antennae on remote platforms.
Maximum peak power and repetition rates specifications are
5GW and 10Hz, respectively.
Fig 3. Marx Generator APELC MG30-3C-100nF
b) HPM Source
Ways to Achieve
Impulsive Sources
In Impulsive sources, pulsed microwave energy generated by
Charging antenna, a transmission line or a tuned circuit
directly, and making these rings for several cycles by closing a
switch. Example of impulsive sources is various ultra wide
band sources.
Linear Beam Sources
In the case of linear beam sources, microwave energy is
generated by converting kinetic energy of an electron beam
into electromagnetic energy of the microwave beam. examples
of linear beam sources include klystrons, travelling-wave
tubes, magnetrons, virtual-cathode oscillators.
Fig. 4. Virtual cathode oscillator as linear beam source
c) Antennae
An antenna acts as an interface between the transmitter output

8. 4
and the medium which the radiated electromagnetic waves
have to propagate through. In the case of an HPM weapon
system too, it is an interface between the HPM source output
and the surrounding atmosphere. Antennae play a crucial role
in the HPM system design. Some of the important factors that
need to be addressed by HPM antennae include directivity,
ultra-wide bandwidth, feed-to-antenna coupling efficiency and
compactness. Another important requirements are that of
proper matching between the feed and the radiating element,
lest the resultant standing waves would cause voltage
breakdown. HPM antennae tend to be massive in order to
avoid voltage break down operating electric field levels. To
meet the increasing requirements of having HPM weapon
systems on smaller platforms, antenna size can play an
important role.
Antenna shape is also an issue as it influences to a great extent
whether air breakdown phenomenon is an issue or not at high
power levels. Horn antennae and antenna arrays are the
promising can did at as for HPM sources with the former
presently being the most commonly used type. Different types
of horn antennae including conical, circular, rectangular,
corrugated and half-oval, and TEM horn antennae are used
with a particular design depending upon the intended
application.
Fig. 5. Conical Horn Antenna.
2. High power Microwave Source
As the heart of the high-power microwave weapon, high-
power microwave sources have been under investigation for
several years, and many varieties of microwave sources exist.
High-power microwave sources include the traditional
magnetron and klystron as well as newer devices such as the
virtual-cathode oscillator (vircator), gyrotron and free-electro
laser. In contrast to a magnetron, the physical structure of the
klystron permits higher power and frequencies. While they
could deliver the requisite power levels, they are problematic
with regard to size, mass, and power consumption. Another
negative feature is that they have a limited tuning ability
vircators generate microwave energy at centimeter
wavelengths and are candidates for future high-power
microwave weapons. The vircator is of particular interest
because it is a one-shot device capable of producing a very
powerful single pulse of radiation, yet it is mechanically
simple, small and robust, and can operate over are relatively
broad band of microwave frequencies.
gyrotrons are another new type of microwave source that
operate at millimeter wavelengths, and are capable of
continuous wave operations at very high power levels.
The disadvantages of gyrotron devices are their size, weight
and very narrow bandwidth.
3. Operational Capability
High-power microwave weapons provide new means and
interesting operational characteristics for both defensive and
offensive operations.
First, a HPM weapon is a wide-area weapon that can affect
multiple targets with minimal prior data on threat
characteristics. It could be used while focused or in a scan
mode to cover a region of vast extent. HPM weapons
illuminate every target within their beams’ path, near or far.
Their area effect depends on several factors, such as frequency
generated, distance from target area, the characteristics of the
antenna, and susceptibility of the targets.
Second, they are tunable weapons that allow users to vary the
effects imposed on the different targets, such as electronic
equipment and people. They do not provide significant
collateral damage like chemical and biological weapons do.
They could possibly be employed against targets in urban
environments or where collateral damage and casualty
concerns constrain the use of explosive or kinetic weapons.
They do not cause physical or structural damage, yet they still
permit strikes against a range of high value targets such as
military and civil communications systems, ammunition and
field pots, transportation systems or even critical industrial
facilities.
Third, they have all-weather attack capability. Microwave
beams, just like radio, television and radar signals, can
propagate in clouds, dust, snow, rain and most other
atmospheric conditions.
Fourth, they are three-dimensional weapons. HPM weapons
might be particularly useful against buried targets or those that
are located in populated areas. They not only can cause injury,
kill surgical targets and do great damage or performance
degradation to electronic equipment on the ground, but also
can penetrate buried and protected targets
Fifth, HPM weapons can be effective against electronics even
when those systems are turned off. However, this might be
limited to just damage effect and can be achieved only if a
weapon system produces sufficient influence on the target.
The very single effective defense is to isolate the target from
the means of conducting energy, which might produce a
mission kill.
Sixth, when compared to other kinetic or biological weapon
systems. HPM weapons have reduced life cycle costs and
provide a deep magazine. Unlike conventional systems,
microwave weapons require little logistical support, backup
missiles or ammunition. Their bullets are simply electrical
energy derived from their power sources.
Lastly, they are multi-platform weapons that can be carried by
unmanned air vehicles (UAV), land vehicles, aircraft, tactical
fighters, helicopters, bombs or missiles, ships, and even by
manned or unmanned future combat system (FCS) platforms.

9. 5
a. How High-Power Microwave Affect the Target
High-power microwave energy can affect anything that
responds to electromagnetically induced voltages and currents,
to include electronics, materials and personnel. Two
mechanisms are at work within objects caught in a high-power
microwave beam: molecular heating and electrical stimulation.
Fig. 6. Range Vs Effect
Once microwave energy reaches a target, a sequence of
penetration and propagation processes will take place from the
target’s outer surface into its interior. Molecular heating is the
result of narrowband high-power microwave weapons on the
target’s outer surface. The molecules of the target rub together
due to the power of the microwave energy. The power
required to gain this effect is quite large and a significant well
time on intended target is necessary.
The other efficient mechanism takes place when the
microwave energy ultimately arrives at the target’s
electronics. Microwave weapon systems have the ability to
produce graduated effects in the target electronics, depending
upon the amount of energy that is coupled to the target.
Coupling begins with an exterior response on shielded systems
like aircraft, tanks and other targets. Later, the energy that is
received can be subsequently transmitted deeper into the
electronics through the circuitry pathways that exist within the
target itself. The power level and dwell time required for
electrical stimulation are much smaller than for molecular
heating, which allows longer engagement range (Figure6).
Depending on the coupling, high-power microwave effects
can change from degraded system interaction to more serious
destructive accomplishments. For electrical stimulation or
penetration into the target, high-power microwave weapons
use two different coupling mechanisms.
i. Front-Door Coupling
Front-door coupling denotes in-band penetration through the
target with its own antenna, which is designed to receive
microwaves such as communication antennas, radar antennas
or altimeters. If unprotected, these coupling paths provide an
easy entrance at in-band frequencies. In-band damage or
performance degrading requires that the attacking microwaves
be of the same frequency as those the target is tuned to
receive. Out-band signals may also couple with front-door
openings and overwhelm the target, but are weaker as they do
not couple as efficiently.
The disadvantage of in-band damage or performance
degrading is the need to know the target’s operating frequency
in advance, or to obtain that information in real time and
adjust the weapon’s output appropriately. A common
countermeasure to in-band attack is frequency hopping, which
means changing the frequency with each pulse. The counter to
this countermeasure is to attack over a broad band of
frequencies, but this carries with it the disadvantage of
spreading the weapon’s available energy over a broadband.
ii. Back-Door Coupling
Back-door coupling is a more complex mechanism and refers
to any radiation coupling that follows a path other than an
antenna, such as windows, slots, seams, improperly shielded
wires, cracks or gaps. Any conductive material can provide a
path for energy to reach key electronic components. Back-
door paths require higher energy levels before damage or
performance degrading is likely to occur, but they are
typically much more difficult to diagnose or eliminate
.
b. Lethality of High-Power Microwave Weapons
High-power microwave weapons cause four levels (upset,
lock-up, latch-up, and burnout) of destructive effect in
electronic devices depending on:
• Distance to the target
• Vulnerability of the target
• Weapon frequency
• Generated power level and power density on the target
• Bandwidth
• Burst rate and pulse duration
• Well time on the target
• Coupling mode or entry points
Four potential effects of high-power microwave weapons on
targets can be categorized into a hierarchy of lethality, which
require increasing microwave emission on the target.
i. Upset
Upset means particular interaction as observed between a
weapon and the operating state of the target system at the
time, as the system state changes, upsets could subside. Once
the signal is removed, the affected system can be easily
restored to its previous condition. Interference caused by
jamming equipment or lightning are examples of this type of
deny effect.
ii. Lock-up
Lock-up produces a temporary alteration similar to upset, but
electrical reset or shut off and restart is necessary to regain
functionality after the radiation is removed. Degrading is an
example which requires the intervention by an external
operator or special safeguard procedures to reload the target
system.
iii. Latch-up
Latch-up defines an extreme form of lock-up in which circuits
of the target are permanently destroyed or electrical power is

10. 6
cut off, which spoils the target’s mission. No responding
semiconductor devices to an input or transistors failing on a
circuit board due to overloads from radiation are two latch-up
examples.
iv. Burnout
Burnout occurs when the high-power microwave energy
causes melting in capacitors, resistors or conductors. Burnout
mostly occurs in the junction region where multiple wires or
the base collector or emitter of a transistor come together, and
often involves electrical arcing. Consequently, the heating is
localized to the junction region. A lightning strike’s effect on
electronic devices is a burnout example.
b. Laser Weapons
Although most lasers may seem to be similar in appearance,
they are very different with regard to performance parameters
and properties. Among these types of variation, it is the
intended target and operating environment that largely
determines the required performance properties such as energy
or wavelength. Lasers are often differentiated by the kind of
lasing medium, which can be gas, liquid, semiconductor, or
solid state. Three major kinds of laser appear to have
applications for directed energy weapons: chemical, electric
(solid-state), and free electron lasers.
1. Laser Types & Technology
a. Chemical Laser
They offer high energy levels in the megawatt range, but their
military applications require large platforms to haul the large
quantity of chemicals, in terms of volume, weight and fuel
logistical problems. Chemical laser types are hydrogen
fluoride (HF), deuterium fluoride (DF), and chemical oxygen
iodine lasers (COIL).
b. Solid-State Laser
Solid-state lasers use a non-conductive glass or crystalline
material that is doped with a species, such as neodymium or
erbium, as the active medium. The prime example of such a
solid-state laser would be the original ruby laser.
c. Free-electron Laser
Free-electron lasers (FEL) generate streams of electrons from
superconducting radio frequency accelerators to create a
tunable beam. This represents a unique way of creating laser
radiation without the use of chemicals, crystals, or any of the
tradition always of generating laser beams.
2. Types of Laser Weapons
a. Ground Based Laser
i. Tactical high energy Laser
The tactical high-energy laser (THEL) is a ground-based laser
which uses a deuterium fluoride (DF) chemical laser and is
designed for air-defense and the destruction of short-range
rockets and artillery rounds at ranges of about ten kilometers.
System development was initiated in 1996 and the first in-
flight destruction of a live artillery rocket was achieved in
June 2000.
ii. Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser
The mobile tactical high-energy laser (MTHEL) is another
ground-based laser weapon system which uses a deuterium
fluoride (DF) chemical laser, similar to the THEL, but with
capabilities that go well beyond those of the THEL.
b. Airborne Laser
Currently, there are two airborne laser weapons under
development: the airborne laser (ABL) for boost phase missile
defense and a new program, namely the advanced tactical
laser (ATL), for air-to-ground operations.
i. Airborne Laser (ABL)
The airborne laser (ABL) is a multi-megawatt (MW) chemical
oxygen iodine laser (COIL) weapon on a Boeing 747
platform. The ABL, cruising at 40,000 feet, engages and
destroys ballistic missiles during the first phase of their flight
at a 500-700 kilometers standoff range. The boost phase is the
first stage in a ballistic trajectory, when missiles present large
and vulnerable targets that can be easily tracked. During the
boost phase, infrared (IR) emission from the missile is so
intense and almost impossible to hide. An attack during the
boost phase can destroy a missile, carrying chemical or
biological agents, over enemy territory before any smaller
warheads are released.
Fig. 7. Boeing YAL 1 Airborne Laser
ii. Advance Tactical Laser
The advanced tactical laser (ATL) is another concept for an
airborne laser that uses a less powerful version of the chemical
oxygen iodine laser (COIL), instead of missiles, to disable
ground targets. This type of airborne laser has the advantage
of being able to produce a surgical strike and lethal or non-
lethal effects, particularly in an urban environment, at
significant standoff distances. The ATL (Figure 8) will use
laser power from the tens to a few hundred kilowatts to disable
target sets including vehicles, aircraft, munitions,
rockets/mortars, optical and radar surveillance systems,
communication infrastructure, and other military targets.
Fig.8. Advance Tactical Laser

11. 7
IV. EXAMPLE OF DEW IN PRESENT AND FUTURE
Fig.9. E- Bomb
1. E-Bomb
Electromagnetic bombs or E-bombs, described as the “nuclear
weapons of the information age”, are devices specifically
designed to destroy a wide range of electronic equipment over
their footprints. E-bombs produce high voltage standing waves
on wiring and cables or cause secondary radiation of an
intense electromagnetic blast at the gigahertz level which is
strong enough to melt electrical circuitry.
The basic principle of an E-bomb entails the use of an
explosive magnetic flux compression generator. Essentially, a
magnetic armature is driven by explosives through a coil,
energized by a bank of capacitors, and the resulting energy is
directed through an antenna. Figure 9 shows the hypothetical
design for an E-bomb warhead in which a two-stage flux
compression generator provides gig watts of power to the
virtual cathode oscillator (vircator), which produces the high-
power microwaves.
Fig. 10. Active Denial System
2. Active Denial System ADS
The Active Denial System (ADS), which is known as the pain
ray, is a non-lethal directed-energy weapon used against
human targets. It uses the millimeter-wave region of the
electromagnetic spectrum, which penetrates shallowly into a
conducting surface like human skin. The ADS uses a 95 GHz
radar beam that penetrates 0.4 to 0.5 mm into human
skin.ADS produces a heat sensation that within seconds
becomes intolerable and forces the targeted individual to
instinctively flee. The sensation immediately ceases when the
individual moves out of the beam or when the operator turns
off the system. Since the produced pulses are very short and
targeted humans react instinctively, ADS does not cause
permanent injury. ADS (Figure 10) could be used for
protection of defense resources, peacekeeping, humanitarian
missions and other situations in which the use of lethal force is
undesirable.
Fig.11. Personal Halting and stimulation Response (PHAsR)
3. PHAsR
The Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response (PHaSR) is a
first of its kind rifle-sized laser weapon system that can be
operated by a single shooter. The PhaSR system uses laser
light to illuminates or dazzle aggressors that temporarily
impairs the vision of hostile individuals.
Fig.12. ZM-87 Portable Laser
4. ZM-87 Portable Laser
ZM-87 is a portable laser weapon designed to damage electro-
optical sensors such as laser rangefinders, video cameras and
missile seeker heads at ranges up to 10 km. The weapon
affects its targets by transmitting 15 MW laser pulses at two
different wavelengths simultaneously with a 5 Hz repetition
rate. It weighs less than 35 kilograms (Figure 12)
V. ADVANTAGE
1. Pin point Accuracy
2. Low Cost per use and maintenance
3. Unlimited Magazine Capacity
4. Less Lethal if tuned properly.

12. 8
5. Operate in all-weather condition.
6. Engage multiple target
7. Speed of light operation
8. Difficult to track.
9. Laser can mounted on any ground or Ariel vehicle.
Fig.13. Laser weapon in Different Platform
VI. DISADVANTAGE
1. HPM weapons have shorter Range than Laser
weapons
2. Laser can reflect, refract, absorbed by physical and
chemical property of materials.
3. Large Construction required in Laser Weapon
4. Expensive Concept.
VII. APPLICATION
The significance of directed-energy weapons is that they
provide a range of strategic and operational capabilities in
both offensive and defensive military operations.
Basic strategic and operational offensive applications are:
1. Suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD)
2. Attack against ground, air and maritime targets
3. Electronic suppression and disablement of command,
4. control, communications, computers, and intelligence
(C4I) systems
5. Close air support (CAS)
6. Battlefield air interdiction
7. Space control and anti-satellite operations
8. Suppressing or damaging visible, infrared, and
microwave sensors
9. Asymmetric strikes
10. Dispersion of crowds, rioters (non-lethal anti-
personnel attacks)
11. Speedboat pursuit
Basic strategic and operational defensive applications are:
1. Ballistic missile (BM) and surface-to-air missile
defense
2. Counter-artillery and rockets
3. Air defense
4. Counter-electronics against targeting and sensor
systems
5. Fleet defense
6. Aircraft self-protection
7. Protection of armored vehicles
8. Neutralization of explosive traps and minefield
cleaning
9. Critical infrastructure protection
10. Stopping of motor vehicles
11. Surveillance of coastal waters
12. The host platforms can be ships, large or tactical
aircraft that include Helicopters, ground vehicles,
ground bases and spacecraft. Directed-energy
weapons have passed the stages of laboratory
prototypes and even trial production for some
Applications. There is no doubt that they will become
a major force multiplier due to their significant
advantages over traditional kinetic weapons
Fig.14. HEL weapon destroying Rocket.
CONCLUSION
After remarkable advancements in the past few decades, the
revolutionary concept of directed-energy weapons has
matured in many areas to the point that they are ready to be
implemented by a country’s military services as the twenty-
first century’s most challenging weapon systems, either in
offensive or defensive applications. These revolutionary
weapon systems offer asymmetric military advantages over
adversaries that fail to take into consideration the application
of future directed-energy weapons. As explained in this thesis,
directed-energy weapons, both high power-microwave
weapons and laser weapons, are complementary to each other
and have distinct advantages over traditional kinetic and
chemical energy weapons. These inherent advantages include
the ability to travel at the speed of light, delivery precision and
Discrimination of power, deep magazine capacity, low cost
per shot, rapid and multiple target engagement, and non-lethal
operations capability. Engineering research continues to
overcome various challenges to bring these weapons to the
battlefield. These challenges include the need to reduce the
cost, decrease the size and increase the power of directed-
energy weapons, such as the high-energy laser. However, it is
likely that directed-energy systems will continue to be
developed for military applications, and in the near future
nations will implement these weapon systems in compact sizes

13. 9
and will integrate them into small combat platforms or even
man portable systems.
REFERENCES
[1] Electronics for You Magazines
[2] http:/wikipedia.org
[3] www.rfwirelessworld.com