National Conference in Applied Sciences and Humanities: NCASH-2017, 24
th
– 25
th
February 2017
Thakur College of Engineering & Technology (TCET), Kandivali (E), Mumbai, India
http://www.tcethns.cf
International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
LASERS IN DEFENCE
Nitin Vishwakarma, Harshal Tanwade, Aditya More, Priyanshu Tiwari, Yash Shah, Krishnakant Mishra
Department Of Humanities & Sciences
Thakur College of Engineering & Technology
Kandivali (East), Mumbai-400101, India.
nitinvishwakarma007@gmail.com
harshal.tanwade17@gmail.com
aaditya.s.more@outlook.com
priyanshutiwari450@gmail.com
planetsky1999@hotmail.com
kkmishra372@gmail.com
Abstract:
In today’s world, there is rarely any scientific field which is not influenced by laser technology. In our paper, we will be
particularly focusing on the applications of laser in defense & military. After 60 years of regressive research & experimentation on
lasers, it has finally found its place in the field of defense & military. It is used in various defense applications like Mid-Infrared
Advance Chemical laser (MIRACL), Air Borne Laser (ABL), Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL), Laser Guided Weapons, LiDAR, etc.
It has conclude to be very useful where safety & Security are top priorities. Although there are quite many limitations for using Laser
Technology in the area of Military & Defense, still there is high scope of future development in this field. So, the scientists are
developing new Defense System, which will increase the security of nations against foreign threat.
Keywords:
LASER, MIRACL (Mid-Infrared Advance Chemical Laser), PHaSR (Personal Halting & Stimulation Response) THEL (Tactical High
Energy Laser), LiDAR (Light Detection & Ranging), LOC (Line of Control), De-STAR (Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids &
exploration system)
1. Introduction
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiations
which is also written in short as “LASER”, was
theoretically discovered in 1957, but the first laser was
built in 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes
Laboratory, which was used the theoretical work of
Charles Hard Townes & Arthur Leonard Schawlow. A
Laser has properties like high coherency & high intensity
which makes it different from other sources of light the
property of laser like spatial coherence allows laser to be
focused onto a very tight spot, which is useful in laser
cutting & lithography where accuracy is a top priority.
While it also allows collimation of a laser beam due to
which it follows rectilinear path. This can be useful in
laser pointers. As they emits light of single wavelength i.e.
single color, they also have temporal coherence, which can
be used to produce pulses of light of the order of
femtoseconds. Due to these properties of laser, they are
widely used in today’s industry, with varieties of
application like Barcode Scanner, Laser Printers, Fiber
Optics & Free Space Optical Communications, Laser
Surgery & Cutting & Welding of Metals, Laser Lighting
Displays, which are used for entertainment purpose. But,
in the past few decades, it has been emerging as a modern
technology used in Defense & Law Enforcement Devices
used by Military for various purposes.
2. MIRACL
MIRACL which stands for Mid-Infrared Advanced
Chemical Laser. MIRACL is a type of Directed Energy
weapon, which is collaborated by the US Navy
Figure 1: MIRACL
The MIRACL is a type of Chemical Laser which uses
Deuterium Fluoride as a chemical medium to produce high
intensity laser. The MIRACL Laser first commenced in
1980. It can generate over a megawatt of output for up to
70 seconds, which is the most powerful unceasing wave
laser in US. The main mission of MIRACL was to be able
to track & destroy anti-ship cruise missiles, but after some
years it was first tested at a contractor facility in
California, later during 1990-2000, it was located at a
facility in the white sands missile range in New Mexico.
The size of the beam in the reverberated is 21cm high &
3cm wide, which is the reshaped to a 14×14cm square.
During the mid of October 1997, It was tested Against
MSIT-3, which is US Air-Force Satellite at the end of its
original mission in orbit at a distance of 432km But,
MIRACL undergone failure during the test & was
damaged. The Pentagon claimed mixed results for other
portions of the test. Whereas, a second laser, which was a
low powered one was successful in temporarily blinding
the MSIT-3 sensors during the test.
