LASER WARFARE
From dazzling defences to quick communication, these amplified light beams have multiple applications in the military
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
DID YOU KNOW? Laser wavelengths travel at the speed of light – around 186,300 miles per second
ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM
Lasers can be used to target and destroy missiles. An example of this is Israel’s Iron Beam high-energy laser weapon system, which is planned for launch in 2025. The system uses radar technology to detect incoming missiles, rockets or drones from several miles away. It calculates how fast the object is moving, as well as its trajectory, to secure a target area for firing the laser. As the laser fires, the high-energy beam heats the surface of the threat, burning or melting an area of the missile the diameter of a coin and causing the missile to explode. In other instances, the laser disables the electronics in the missile, rendering it harmless.