Potential defense against Chinese anti-ship missiles, drones
The US Navy proposes to spend US$299 million in FY2019 on developing laser systems that can defend its ships against current and future threats.
USNI News says the funds, which are yet to be approved and were included in a budget document issued earlier this month, are intended to move naval laser systems a step closer to deployment. The “rapid prototyping, experimentation and demonstration initiative” is also aimed at developing laser weapons that can counter Chinese anti-ship missiles like the DF-21D and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
The US government’s 2019 fiscal year runs from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019.
“In the upcoming fiscal year, the Navy wants to purchase four ship-mounted Surface Navy Laser Weapon Systems, which include a High Energy Laser with an integrated low-power laser dazzler,” USNI News reported. “If successful, this system would provide ships with a new means of countering unmanned aerial vehicles, fast inshore attack craft and adversary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.”
The navy also wants to install two Optical Dazzling Interdictor navy systems on Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyers in the upcoming fiscal year.
One navy challenge is that current shipboard defenses cost much more than the anti-ship missiles and UAVs that potential foes like China and Russia have in their arsenal. Navy ships also carry only limited stores of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and ammunition for close-in weapons like Phalanx CIWS gun systems. SAMs can also cost more than a million dollars each.
A recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report noted these current shipboard defenses can provide adequate protection in limited engagements.
“But in combat scenarios (or an ongoing military capabilities competition) against a country such as China that has many UAVs and anti-ship missiles and a capacity for building or acquiring many more, an unfavorable cost exchange ratio can become a very expensive – and potentially unaffordable – approach to defending Navy surface ships against UAVs and anti-ship missiles,” the CRS report said.
Lasers, on the other hand, can be fired for less than one dollar a shot if onboard power supply issues on navy ships can be resolved, according to experts.
- U.S. Air Force Arms Ghostrider Gunship With Laser Weapon For Covert Strikes
- U.S. Navy Building ‘Portable’ Laser Weapon
- How US Navy's Futuristic Laser Weapon Uses Old-School Telephone Tech
- MH370 shot down by laser weapon to stop cargo falling into wrong hands, new book claims
- Nearly 40 Million People Are Still Enslaved Worldwide
- General Atomics And Boeing’s New Liquid Laser Could Win High-Energy Weapon Race
- China Tests Anti-Satellite Weapon, Unnerving U.S.
- Who is US Navy nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe?
- Navy will remove 2,700 sailors from aircraft carrier hit by coronavirus
- Air Force wants weapons faster, cheaper as it sees writing on wall
- The Assault-Weapons Ban Isn't Happening—Get Over It
- Estimates of North Korea's nuclear weapons are difficult to nail down
- These are the three things North Korea's Kim Jong Un wants from Donald Trump
- How This Vermont Sock Company Became a $40 Million Business in a Town of 3,000
- For Sale Now: U.S.-Supplied Weapons in Afghan Gun Shops
- Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To Duo Working To End Sexual Violence As Weapon Of War
- Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops have not yet complied with vaccine mandate as deadlines near
- Truss unveils new secret Brexit weapon as she ignites spark under £200bn US trade deal bid
- The Beauty of 78.5 Million Followers
- FNC's Carlson: Democratic Politicians Have Weaponized Public Health
US Navy wants nearly US$300 million for shipboard laser weapons have 603 words, post on www.atimes.com at April 14, 2018. This is cached page on Travel News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.