Airborne directed energy weapons. And EMP cruise missiles can turn the game.

“MBDA rendering showing large, stealthy, fighter-like uncrewed aircraft with laser pods under the fuselages. MBDA” (TWZ)

Germany has launched a new airborne laser weapon. And. It will enter a race to develop airborne laser weapons. The U.S. Air Force and other countries are developing their airborne laser systems to destroy drone swarms and stealth aircraft.  U.S. Air Force also has programs to develop dogfight lasers. And lasers for C-130-style platforms.

 A high-power laser- or microwave platform. It can fly over other aircraft and drone swarms and point its weapons at them. With high-power microwaves and lasers, they can cut electric wires from target areas. And lasers can at least. Damage trucks and other equipment. The microwave system can burn electronics. That can leave the targets unprotected. 

Jet fighters like the F-15 can carry about 50 laser-guided rockets that can destroy drones and damage larger stealth bombers.  Bu. How can defenders destroy swarms? That involves even thousands of drones? One of the most powerful drone tactics is that drones will be sent to enemy territory in swarms, and one of those drones’ purposes is to force the enemy to use air defense missiles against those drones. 

“U.S. Air Force art depicting a future dogfight with laser weapons. U.S. Air Force” (TWZ)

“A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle carrying a load of 42 APKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) rockets in six seven-shot pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles. CENTCOM.” (TWZ)

The logic in this tactic is that. The enemy is forced to use air defense missiles against them. And. The defender cannot let any drone get through the air defense. The enemy must use all its air-defense missiles against those drones. The logic is simple. When missile stores are empty. The main attack begins using ballistic and cruise missiles and manned aircraft. The airborne laser weapons can destroy lower-flying drones. Those weapons. Can also protect stealth aircraft. Against. Incoming missiles. But there is one problem. 

Small cruise missiles like the DAN-T (Banderol) are also advancing. Laser scanners, image recognition, and stealth technology can make those missiles more dangerous. In some visions, miniature cruise missiles with ranges of 250-1000 kilometers can act as extremely long-range versions of HARM, Maverick, and Hellfire missiles. Those systems can find their targets. Using AI. They could be dangerous. To. Radars and especially aircraft on airfields. 

“A rendering depicting an older AC-130U Spooky II gunship employing a laser along with its other weapons. U.S. Air Force” (TWZ)

“A close-up of the Mi-28NM and the missile seen below the left-side stub wing. Russian Ministry of Defense/screencap” (TWZ)

Those miniature long-range weapons can use variable platforms. Like attack helicopters. The DAN-T is installed onboard the Mi-28 “Havoc”. But the Mi-8 and Mi-24 can operate as launch platforms. Those platforms are not mentioned. But. It's possible. That. DAN-T can be shot from those older helicopters.  Along. With faster supersonic aircraft and ground platforms. Small-size cruise missiles. With precise accuracy. It. Can also knock out defenses. Those missiles can attack ground-based surface-to-air missile and radar sites. When. Those sites are wiped out. The sky is open. To. Larger missiles and aircraft. 

But the new threats are coming. U.S. military tests long-range cruise missiles with microwave systems. Those microwave systems knocked down three targets in tests. Their power is shown when they also accidentally knocked out cameras that recorded the test. This means. That. Those microwave or EMP missiles can knock out air defense. They can also knock out computer centers. And in some visions, those EMP weapons can also be used against the drone swarms. Those missiles are known as CHAMPs (Counter-electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project). They are one weapon that can escort regular cruise missiles. 

They can make defense more difficult. CHAMPS cause more limited damage to electronics than some nuclear-based EMPs. The EMP shuts down electronics. And that thing is different than explosions. The only thing people see is aircraft. That flies over the area. There will be no dropping bombs. No missiles fired. The system. It just shuts down electronics. Like. Somebody pushed a switch into the off position. The CHAMP system can be installed. Also. In other aircraft, not just cruise missiles. 

That system.  Can destroy. A large number of drones. One shot. But. Those DEWs can also drop larger aerial targets. The EMP cruise missiles and EMP drones can also act as pathfinders for other systems. They can be used against aircraft. And. Anti-aircraft sites. 

The EMP systems can also be installed into “Loyal Wingman” drones and manned fighters. They can also be used from the ground against drone swarms, ships, and other kinds of systems.  EMP weapon that hits radar or communication antennas can shut down a large-scale network. Those EMP weapons can also be installed in hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic glide systems. Those microwave transmitters can destroy enemy defenses. And. Open. The path to regular anti-material missiles. 

https://www.thedefensenews.com/Russia-Plans-Sharp-Increase-in-Dan-T-Missile-Production-Targeting-2000-Units-by-End-2026-and-14000-in-2027/

https://www.twz.com/air/airborne-laser-weapon-for-tactical-aircraft-being-developed-by-germany

https://www.twz.com/air/russian-mi-28-attack-helicopter-fires-cruise-missile

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Precision_Kill_Weapon_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-electronics_High_Power_Microwave_Advanced_Missile_Project

Why are X-37B and “Global Hawk” drones built?

X-37B
(Picture 1)

Kimmo Huosionmaa

X-37B represents new kind of thinking about military devices. Its mission is to fix the problems of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The main problem of those extremely powerful weapons is actually that when they would be launched, the strike cannot be delayed, even if the opponent wants to talk. This is the problem with all nuclear devices. When the strike has begun, nothing could stop those weapons.


Sometimes I have asked, why the cruise missiles would not have wheels, that they could be returned to the base if the strike would be unnecessary. Wheels under the belly of cruise missile would allow using this weapon by any road in the world. This makes those weapons extremely dangerous, because those weapons don’t need any launchers, and they could deliver from any truck in the world.


They can also store in any warehouse in the world. Cruise missiles are actually one type of drones, and that equipment can be connected together. Same drones can be used as the normal duties of strike and reconnaissance. But in the global crises, they can also equip with nuclear warheads. That kind of drones can also use DEW (Directed Energy Weapons) to shut down enemy satellites or destroying airplanes. Those microwave and laser weapons are similar, what is used in metal industry. They would get their power from the solar panels, or if the drone flies lower it can use windmill turbogenerators to create necessary electric power.  Those weapons simply cut off the satellites solar panels or wings from other aircraft or they might melt the body of the aircraft.

RQ-4 "Global Hawk"
(Picture II)

Space drones like X-37B might be also working as a cruise missile. I have sometimes earlier wrote about this thing, but that equipment can be launched to the orbital, and it can wait in there the order to begin the attack. But when we are thinking about extreme high altitude flying drones like “Global Hawk, could those drones attack any target on the world by using GPS-guided bombs. Those weapons are very sharp, even they would drop from 20 kilometers above the target. They also might carry laser weapons, what can use against the targets, what are below this vehicle. The laser itself is laying inside the drone, and the ray would be pointed to the target by using turning mirror.


This kind of drones can carry smart weapons in internal bomb bays. But they also can equip with nuclear weapons. Nuclear bombs can also use GPS-guidance for precision targeting. Modern warfare is quite different than ever before. Drones and manned bombers can operate together, and also B-52 size bombers can be hybrid. They might have the capacity to operate as UCAV- drones or manned bombers. And they can drop the more dangerous equipment, what human ever could imagine.



In those bombs might have the robots, what might look like snakes, rats or mice. The artificial mice are actually the devices, what mission is to slip in the ammunition and fuel warehouses and they might be equipped with explosives. But those mice can also have the microwave- or laser devices, what they can use for warming grenades. Those electromagnetic weapons allow for avoiding the explosive detectors.


That makes those DEW (Directed Energy Weapons) so dangerous. If somebody would slip the microwave device with battery inside some airplane,  the results could be devastating. That magnetron might warm the structure of the airplane to very high temperature. And the problem is that this device is unseen by the bomb detectors. Also, the firepower of those weapons could not be limited, what makes possible the scenario, that some operator forgets that weapon in use, and that could cause the very dangerous situation if the microwave would be targeted to civil aircraft or other infrastructure.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_RQ-4_Global_Hawk

Picture 1

https://img.newatlas.com/x-37b-lands.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ch=Width%2CDPR&crop=entropy&fit=crop&h=347&q=60&w=616&s=020c3dbd714e3805e49ab685f92b68d2

Picture 2

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Global_Hawk_1.jpg/1200px-Global_Hawk_1.jpg

https://crisisofdemocracticstates.blogspot.fi/

http://crisisofdemocracticstates.blogspot.fi/p/why-are-x-37b-and-global-hawk-drones.html