Directed Energy Weapons

Abstract

One of the major areas of global interest for scientists and engineers today is that of directed‐energy weapons (DEWs). These weapons, with the exception of particle beam and laser‐induced plasma channel, LIPC weapons, generate streams of electromagnetic energy that can be precisely directed over long distances to disable or destroy the intended targets. This chapter focuses on different categories of DEWs including high‐energy laser weapons, high power microwaves, particle beam weapons and laser‐induced plasma channel, LIPC weapons. It explores operational advantages and limitations, system anatomy, involved technologies, international status and emerging trends. The chapter explains the four major categories of DEWs: Microwave‐based DEWs, Laser‐based DEWs, Particle beam weapons (PBW) and Laser‐Induced Plasma Channel, LIPC weapons. There are two broad categories of particle beam weapons, namely the charged particle and neutral‐particle beam weapons. The particle accelerator is the source of high‐energy particle beam and is therefore the heart of the particle beam weapon system.