Directed Energy Weapons: What They Are, What We Have, & How They Work

By: Jake Cheriton | Tesla Telegraph 

Directed Energy Weapons: A New Era In Military Technology

Introduction

Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) have long been the subject of military interest and investment, and recent advancements indicate that they are moving beyond theoretical concepts towards practical applications. DEWs encompass a range of systems that emit energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. They offer significant advantages over traditional weaponry, including precision, controllability, and potential for non-lethal use.

Types of Directed Energy Weapons

DEWs are primarily classified into 3 categories:

1. Lasers: These weapons use concentrated light to damage or destroy targets. They can be used to shoot down aircraft and missiles, or in non-lethal capacities, such as temporarily blinding or disorienting individuals.
2. Microwave & Millimetre-Wave Weapons: These systems use electromagnetic radiation to target hardware and personnel. They can disrupt electronic systems and cause physical discomfort or damage to human targets by heating the skin.
3. Particle Beam Weapons: Although less developed, these weapons fire atomic or subatomic particles. Their intended effect is to disrupt or destroy a target’s molecular or atomic structure, essentially causing it to disintegrate.

Technological Advancements & Challenges

The progress in DEWs can be attributed to advancements in various scientific fields including nanotechnology, materials science, and energy storage. However, challenges remain in terms of power requirements, beam control, and cooling systems necessary for the operation of these weapons.

Ethical & Legal Considerations

The development of DEWs raises significant ethical and legal concerns. There are debates over their classification under international law and the potential to cause irreversible harm. Some DEWs may circumvent existing legal prohibitions on certain types of weapons. The use of these weapons also raises concerns under human rights law, especially in terms of the right to life and prohibition against inhumane treatment.

A ‘Time Traveller’ Says He Is The Only Survivor On Earth In 2028: Showing Videos & Photos

Health & Environmental Concerns

DEWs can cause a range of effects from discomfort to severe injuries and even death. There are concerns about the long-term health impacts of exposure to these weapons, as well as their environmental implications, particularly in the case of chemical lasers.

Governance & Regulation

Currently, DEWs are not explicitly regulated under international law, although general principles of international humanitarian law and human rights law would apply. The potential for misuse and the lack of transparency in their development call for strict governance and regulatory measures.

Conclusion

Directed Energy Weapons represent a significant shift in the landscape of military technology. While offering new capabilities and advantages, they also pose serious challenges in terms of ethics, legality, and potential health and environmental impacts. As these technologies continue to develop, it will be crucial to address these challenges through comprehensive international discourse and regulation.

Laser-Based Directed Energy Weapons:

Overview

Laser-based DEWs represent a significant advancement in modern warfare technology. These weapons utilize focused beams of light to precisely target and neutralize threats. The term “laser” is an acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation,” which precisely describes the process involved in generating the laser beam.

Operation & Technology

Lasers work by emitting a concentrated beam of photons, which are light particles. This beam is generated through the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in a process that amplifies light. The resulting beam can be focused and directed at a target over significant distances with high precision.

Key components of laser weapons include:

1. Gain Medium: The substance in which light is amplified. This can be a solid, liquid, or gas.
2. Energy Source: Powers the laser, typically an electrical source or chemical reaction.
3. Optical Cavity: Enhances the light beam by reflecting photons back and forth through the gain medium.
4. Output Coupler: Allows some of the light to escape, forming the concentrated laser beam.

Types of Lasers

1. Solid-State Lasers: Use solid gain mediums like crystals or glass. They are known for their efficiency and compactness.
2. Chemical Lasers: Powered by a chemical reaction, these lasers can generate extremely powerful beams but often require large and complex apparatus.
3. Fibre Lasers: Utilize fibres doped with rare-earth elements and are known for their high beam quality and efficiency.
4. Free Electron Lasers: Generate light by passing a high-speed electron beam through a magnetic structure, allowing for a turn-able wavelength.

Applications In Military & Defence

In the military context, lasers have several applications:

1. Target Destruction: High-energy lasers can destroy or damage enemy aircraft, missiles, drones, and other threats.
2. Missile Defence: Lasers can intercept and neutralize incoming projectiles.
3. Dazzling & Blinding: Lower-energy lasers can temporarily blind or disorient personnel or sensors without causing permanent damage.
4. Target Designation & Range Finding: Lasers are used for precise targeting and distance measurement in conjunction with other weapon systems.

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages:

• Precision: Capable of hitting targets with extreme accuracy.
• Speed of Light Delivery: Instantaneous impact on the target.
• Low Cost per Shot: Unlike conventional ammunition, the cost is mostly associated with the energy source.
• Stealth & Silence: Laser beams are silent and invisible, making them hard to detect.

Limitations:

• Atmospheric Distortion: Weather and atmospheric conditions can affect beam quality.
• Power & Cooling Requirements: High-energy lasers require significant power sources and cooling systems.
• Range Limitations: Effective range can be limited compared to traditional weapons.

Microwave & Millimetre-Wave Directed Energy Weapons:

Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Weapons form a critical segment of DEWs, utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum for their operation. These weapons emit radiation in the microwave and millimetre-wave frequency ranges to disrupt or incapacitate targets, including electronic equipment and personnel.

Principle & Operation

1. Microwave Weapons: These devices emit radiation in the microwave frequency range (typically 300 MHz to 300 GHz). They can be tuned to specific frequencies to target electronic systems, causing them to malfunction or permanently damage by inducing electrical currents.
2. Millimetre-Wave Weapons: Operating in the higher frequency band of millimetre wavelengths (30 GHz to 300 GHz), these weapons are primarily used for non-lethal crowd control purposes. They can penetrate the top layers of skin, creating a burning sensation without causing permanent damage.

Key Technologies

• Magnetron: A device used to generate microwave radiation. It’s commonly found in radar systems and microwave ovens.
• Gyrotron: Used in high-power applications, gyrotrons are capable of generating concentrated beams of millimetre waves.
• Directed Antennas: Essential for focusing and directing the energy towards the target.

Applications

1. Electronic Warfare: Disabling or jamming electronic equipment, such as communications systems, radar, or navigation tools.
2. Crowd Control: Devices like the Active Denial System (ADS) use millimetre waves to disperse crowds by inducing an intolerable heating sensation on the skin’s surface.
3. Anti-Drone Measures: Targeting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by disrupting their control systems.

Advantages

• Non-Lethal Option: Offers a non-lethal means to control or disperse crowds.
• Selective Targeting: Can be aimed at specific targets or areas with minimal collateral damage.
• Stealthy Operation: Silent and often invisible, making it difficult for the target to detect the source.

Challenges & Limitations

• Range & Atmospheric Effects: The effectiveness can be reduced by atmospheric conditions and requires relatively close proximity to the target.
• Health Concerns: There are debates about the long-term health effects of exposure to high-power microwaves and millimetre waves.
• Power Requirements: High power consumption and the need for a robust power supply.
• Countermeasures: The potential for targets to shield against or reflect the waves, reducing effectiveness.

Ethical & Legal Considerations

• Regulatory Oversight: The use of microwave and millimetre-wave weapons, especially for crowd control, requires careful consideration under international law and human rights protocols.
• Potential for Misuse: Concerns about their deployment in civilian settings and the potential for misuse by authorities.
• Transparency & Accountability: The need for transparent policies and strict accountability in the use of these weapons to ensure they are employed ethically and legally.

Particle Beam Weapons: The Cutting Edge of Directed Energy Technology:

Overview

Particle Beam Weapons represent the most advanced and speculative category within DEWs. Unlike lasers or microwave weapons, particle beam weapons use streams of atomic or subatomic particles accelerated to near-light speeds. Their potential lies in their ability to disrupt or destroy targets on a molecular or atomic level.

Principles of Operation

1. Generation: Particle beams are generated by accelerating particles such as electrons, protons, or neutrons in a particle accelerator. This process involves electromagnetic fields to speed up and control the particles’ trajectory.
2. Delivery: Once accelerated, the particle stream is directed towards a target. The high energy of the particles can cause significant damage upon impact by disrupting the atomic or molecular structure of the material.

Types of Particle Beams

1. Electron Beams: Consist of high-speed electrons and are relatively easier to generate and control. They can be effective against electronic systems and can potentially cause damage to living tissues.
2. Proton & Neutron Beams: More complex and powerful, these beams can penetrate deeper into materials and cause significant structural damage at an atomic level.

Applications & Potential Uses

• Anti-Material Weapons: Capable of penetrating and disrupting the internal structure of a target, potentially rendering electronic components or machinery inoperative.
• Strategic Defence: Theoretically, particle beams could be used in missile defence systems, destroying or disabling incoming threats.
• Research & Medical Use: In non-military applications, particle beams are used in scientific research and medical treatments, notably in cancer therapy.

Challenges & Limitations

1. Technical Complexity: Creating and maintaining a stable particle beam is a significant scientific and engineering challenge.
2. Power Requirements: Particle beam weapons require immense amounts of energy to accelerate particles to the necessary speeds.
3. Atmospheric Interference: The earth’s atmosphere can disperse or absorb the particles, limiting the effective range of these weapons.
4. Size & Mobility: Current technology necessitates large, complex machinery, making these weapons less practical for field deployment.

Ethical & Legal Implications

• Humanitarian Concerns: The destructive capability at an atomic level raises questions about the humanitarian impact of such weapons.
• Regulatory Framework: The international community faces challenges in regulating and overseeing the development and use of particle beam weapons, given their novel and potentially devastating nature.

Conclusion

Particle Beam Weapons, while still largely in the realm of theoretical and experimental technology, represent a significant leap in directed energy weapon capabilities. They offer a glimpse into a future where warfare and defence could be radically transformed. However, the immense technical challenges, coupled with ethical and legal considerations, suggest that practical and widespread deployment of these weapons may still be a distant reality. As research in this field progresses, it will be crucial to monitor developments and engage in international dialogue to address the profound implications of these advanced weapons systems.

*  *  *

NEXT UP!

Proof of The Parallel Universe? Nazi Coin From 2039 In Mexico Sparks Bizarre Theories

For a long time, alternative universes have been used as a plot for a novel or simply a story for a movie. But there are many who wonder what their life would be like in a parallel universe, or if there is an alternative version of themselves in another dimension. For what scientists have also spent time investigating the potential of alternative realities for decades.

Over the years, scientists have exposed multiple theories, some of which have real evidence to back them up. So, if any of these theories is correct, there is a universe somewhere different from ours. One of the most popular theories of the alternative universe is string theory.

According to this theory, we live in a multiverse of nine dimensions, with only three dimensions visible to us.

Continue reading …

*  *  *

READ MORE: Did NASA Accidentally Show The Harbinger of The Apocalypse Nibiru On Live Stream?

Read more on Parallel World Story’s: The Man From Taured Who Vanished As Mysterious As He Came!

Telegram: Stay connected and get the latest updates by following us on Telegram!

We’d love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Collective Spark Story please let us know below in the comment section.