Soviet Laser Technologies Options

[Park Jong Soo An...]

its been boggling me since my friend shared to me about the soviet laser weapons program which was very intriguing so I started digging the net for such articles and related media which if leaders of the ROTR mod could have this as a great addition to ROTR some generals, especially my favorite general aleksander who is the so-called mad scientist of the russian armed forces in the game;

Advanced Technologies for Defense Against Ballistic Missiles



In the late 1960s, in line with its long-standing emphasis on strategic defense, the Soviet Union initiated a substantial research program into advanced technologies for defense against ballistic missiles. That program covers many of the same technologies involved in the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, but represents a far greater investment of plant space, capital, and manpower.



The Soviets are conducting research in three types of gas lasers considered promising for weapons applications: the gas-dynamic laser; the electric discharge laser; and the chemical laser. Soviet achievements in this area, in terms of output power, have been impressive. The Soviets are also aware of the military potential of visible and very short wave-length lasers. They are investigating excimer, free electron, and x-ray lasers, and have been developing argon-ion lasers for over a decade.


The Soviets appear generally capable of supplying the prime power, energy storage, and auxiliary components needed for most laser and other directed-energy weapons. They have developed a rocket-driven magnetohydrodynamic generator which produces over 15 megawatts of electrical power - a device that has no counterpart in the West. The Soviets may also have the capability to develop the optical systems necessary for laser weapons to track and attack their targets. Thus, they produced a 1.2-meter segmented mirror for an astrophysical telescope in 1978 and claimed that this was a prototype for a 25-meter mirror that would be constructed in the future. A large mirror is considered necessary for a space-based laser weapon.




Unlike the U.S., the USSR has now progressed in some cases beyond technology research. It already has ground-based lasers that could be used to interfere with U.S. satellites, and could have prototype space-based antisatellite laser weapons by the end of the decade. The Soviets could have prototypes for ground-based lasers for defense against ballistic missiles by the late 1980s, and could begin testing components for a large-scale deployment system in the early 1990s.




A-60 Beriev


Initiated by the Soviets as a parallel program to the US Air Force Airborne Laser Laboratory, the Almaz/Beriev A-60 program aimed to demonstrate an airborne HEL DEW capability, and provide baseline data for the development of an operational weapon. The A-60 was therefore a research testbed, even if an operational capability were to be later based on this design.

Two demonstrators were built, the first flying in 1981, the second in 1991. Much of what is available from Russian open sources does not detail actual progress or achievements in this program.

Observable design modifications to the Il-76MD Candid host airframe include:

Nose mounted fairing for the installation of a steerable beam director turret (curiously a similar arrangement to the much later Boeing YAL-1A design).
Removal of aft clamshell doors, replacement shell with a large axial exhaust aperture.
Enlarged main undercarriage sponsons with inlets and exhausts for an undisclosed system (likely laser and systems cooling).
Removal of the tail gunner station.

All open source imagery shows a dummy optical beam director turret installation in the nose. Claims by Russian authors that the beam director was to be deployed from a dorsal hatch are impossible to reconcile with the unique ball turret shaping characteristic of a rotating and tilting beam director. Subject to basic design of the turret, this arrangement would provide at least hemispherical solid angle coverage, and possibly slightly more subject to turret tilt angle relative to the cylindrical fairing shroud.

There have been no disclosures on the type of laser intended for the A-60, although given the concurrent effort by Almaz on the CO2 GDL for the ground based mobile point defence weapon, it is reasonable to assume the same design. The large exhaust port in the aft fuselage is consistent with a GDL or chemical laser.

The current status of this program is not clear. At the end of the Cold War research funding collapsed for most advanced programs, but it is not known whether this project was mothballed or disbanded. If the Russian Air Force sought an airborne laser weapon then the A-60 project would be a viable starting point.

Polyus


The Polyus spacecraft (Russian: Полюс, pole), also known as Polus, Skif-DM, GRAU index 17F19DM, was a prototype orbital weapons platform designed to destroy SDI satellites with a megawatt carbon-dioxide laser.[1] It had a Functional Cargo Block derived from a TKS spacecraft to control its orbit and it could fire test targets to demonstrate the fire control system. It was intended to be the first module of the third generation space station, Mir-2..

Foros, Dikson


The government of the USSR ordered the Navy to test and work out autonomy. Laser gun which was figured in all documents as MSU (powerful propulsion unit) was decided to be installed to a ship.
In 1976 Sergey Gorshkov, a chairman of Navy approved rebuilding of landing ship 770 SDK-20 to experimental ship called project 10030 “Foros�. It was planned to test here “Akvilon� – a laser complex which targets were optical-electron units and opponent ship crew.
Process of rebuilding lasted for 8 years. Ship’s hull needed to be imroved because of “Akvilon� huge size and weight. At last in September of 1984 ship OS-90 “Foros� joined The Black Sea Fleet of the USSR.

The first test of “Dikson� took place in summer of 1980. The ship had only one gun salvo and it was enough to strike the target located in 4 kilometres on the beach. The hit was registered by a heat sensor installed in the target though there were no visiual signs of the beam and damage. Efficiency output also accounted for 5%. The energy of the beam was absorbed by expulsion of sea water.

However the tests were recognized to be successful. Designers created the laser for use in space and as we know there is perfect vacuum there.

Sanguine Anti-Aircraft laser System


In 1983 the NGO "Astrophysics" was put into service complex "sanguine", which provides resistance to optical and electronic devices aerial targets. A distinctive feature of the complex, "Sanguinius" from previously developed products was that was first designed and built "permit system" shots "(NRW) and provided direct guidance of military laser (without the guidance of large mirrors) on the ECO challenging goal.

As a basis has been used serial ZSU "Shilka", only instead of four 23-mm machine it was installed a special set of two, as I understand it, lasers. One that higher, with the receiver provides precise guidance on the optical system of the enemy, then "shot" the bottom, a large laser.

Thus, the military operation was to take place in three stages: first the target was detected radar type "Dome" or "Build" and then in the specified direction of unfolding Tower ZSU and searched their own goals radar gun, and then have fallen into the takeover target has already The laser system was groping vulnerabilities - every lens optics.


The complex is stably solved the problem of selection of real ECO moving helicopter and functional loss (at distances of more than 10 km - ECO blindness for tens of minutes, and at distances of 8-10 km - irreversible destruction of optical receivers). If I understand correctly - such a fate awaits not only the weapons guidance system, and say all kinds of night vision and thermal imaging - Automatic sharahnetsya on any lens.

Unfortunately, as I understand it, this system would be ineffective against radar-guided systems such as Hellfire-Longbow, but its applicability in difficult weather conditions, cause I have many doubts. But that idea is very interesting - of course. Such a machine could very well complement (say, a laser system to the battery) existing SPAR type "Tunguska" and promising "shell". Not all anti-tank radar vectoring, and only in the missile seeker (optical or infrared) to cut - the most it would be.


Stillet



The development for the system Stilet was assigned to the NPO Astrofizika, bureau, under the supervision of head engineer N.D. Ustinov. The system was planned to be placed on a tracklaying vehicle, the development of which was headed by Uraltransmash under the supervision of engineer U.V. Tomashov. There were two prototypes delivered for field and certification testings by the Army and in 1982 were integrated in the Soviet arsenal.



Officially this complex is being adopted today. However, nothing has been heard about experimental machines for a very long time. There were no need in them after finishing the tests. After Dissolution of the Soviet Union they were scattered about the whole country and turned into scrap metal. In the late 90s – beginning of 2000s one of the machines was found in a utilization center near St. Petersburg.



read more here: http://englishrussia.com/2011/11/08/secret...e-soviet-union/

[TheSpudd]

Wow! They really were advanced in their laser program!

[Trooper425]

Tom Clancy's Cardinal of the Kremlin covers the early laser-defense programs of both the Soviets and the United States. Obviously some of it is fiction, but Clancy has a history of basing his stories on historical events (usually).

This post has been edited by Trooper425: 29 Apr 2012, 23:25

[MoLoLu]

Just wanted to pop by - really great info.

One doesn't hear much about these things. Loved the read.

[(USA)Bruce]

Interesting.....Wonder how much the CIA salvaged before the collapse

[Knjaz.]

One of these programs rumored to be still alive. Also, MOD recently mentioned that they're going to continue A-60.


That being said, Soviets/Russia came to the conclusion, that using lasers as a direct-damage weapons is not an optimal solution, at least until new power source arrives, but they can be used as means of EW & alike. (disabling electronics, blinding optics, etc)


P.S. Imho, just giving Tesla tech to Alexander would be more than enough

This post has been edited by Knjaz.: 11 Dec 2012, 10:19

[(USA)Bruce]

^Bump

Google says this link in particular is dangerous.....Da fuck? Can mods take a look at it?

[Slavic Soldier]

All you can know about Russian technology is from rumors that may or may not be true.Even the Soviet programs seem to be well covered,filtered and selectively released.
No wonder most of the americans think Russia is behind them in technology,they don't even know what Russia is researching.

[Darky]

They're building gigantic airships with rayguns and tesla coils.

[Serialkillerwhal...]

Russians are actually, in practice technologically behind the US. At least military wise.
The US has one real advantage.

A budget the size of obama's personality cult.

[Karpet]

Wow! They really were advanced in their laser program!

Yes, even so that they had experimental laser guns if I'm correct.

Although they couldn't really harm people, they could burn through space suits.. And they could disable optical sensors on spacecraft.

This post has been edited by Geth Prime: 22 Feb 2013, 0:23

[Serialkillerwhal...]

That's a pretty interesting thought.

But every time one tech apears, something that counters it apears.

After tanks, they made AT weapons
After jets, they made SAMs.
It's only a matter of time before satelites are vulnerable, although then, satellites will also have defenses onboard.

It's just a neverending cycle of building things to counter other things.