Energy and plasma weapons. Promising weapon development

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

If you ask the first person you meet on the street what a plasma weapon is, not everyone will answer. Although fans of science fiction films probably know what it is and what it is eaten with. Nevertheless, we can say that in the near future humanity will come to the fact that such weapons will be used by the regular army, navy and even aviation, although this is now difficult to imagine for many reasons. Let's talk about advanced weapons developments.

General information and concepts

Despite what we are used to hearing about energy and plasma weapons from movies, the first prototypes and tests have been going on for decades. Another thing is that the authorities are trying to keep such information a secret. This, in principle, is not surprising, because the arms race, in fact, continues, and whoever succeeds will have an advantage. In Russia, for example, since 1972, the development of a combat laser has been underway. It has been successfully tested. Today it is a cannon that can hit air targets such as ballistic missiles, aircraft, satellites, etc. In particular, the Khimpromavtomatika company is engaged in such developments. At present, it is planned to build the world's largest laser, which will be located in the city of Sarov. Its dimensions will be very impressive, we are talking about two football fields. At the same time, there are no analogues either in Europe or in Asia. In general, plasma weapons look very promising against the background of firearms. But it will develop and improve over more than a dozen years.

Modern weapons and developments

It's much better to look at a few concrete projects than to talk about something that isn't there yet. For example, howitzers remain as popular as they were 50 years ago. That is why many countries are engaged in the constant improvement of such technology. A prime example of this is the Panzerhaubitze. This artillery mount is perfect. This gun is 8 meters long, with 52 rounds of ammunition. This howitzer allows you to destroy a heavily armored target with one volley and immediately leave your position. The rate of fire of this combat vehicle, which is 1 shot in 3 seconds, is also surprising. True, then the pace is significantly reduced to a shot in 8 seconds due to the heating of the barrel. Today it is the best 155 mm howitzer, firing at 30 km or more. Especially for this artillery, a projectile with improved striking abilities was developed. We can safely talk aboutthat this is a deadly modern weapon, which is designed to destroy the enemy with one volley. Now, back to our topic.

The weapon of the future and everything about it

Today, almost no one doubts that sooner or later there will be a Third World War. According to many experts, they will fight there with lasers and energy weapons. Most of all, the development of such weapons is carried out in the UK and the USA. So, some tests have already passed, and, as practice has shown, energy weapons (many call them impulse weapons) do an excellent job with enemy communications and air defense installations.

Microwave high-energy weapons began to be developed back in 1990. Impulses directed at an electrical object should disable it for a while, and in priority - forever. In fact, such weapons do not harm a person. It is worth noting that the pulses are capable of hitting fortified objects, as well as bunkers located underground.

Lasers already working

If energy weapons are easier to find today in any project, then lasers have already been installed on some equipment. In particular, the United States is interested in such developments. One of the guns was successfully tested and was installed on board the aircraft. From the air, it was possible to hit a car standing on the ground. At the same time, the beam guidance system worked without deviations. The Boeing Company, which makes such dangerous weapons, has previously tested lasers. It was back in 2010, in the laboratory. Even then it became clearthat the use of laser guns will save many soldiers.

But what about Russia, you ask? Despite the fact that there is practically no information about the development of laser and energy weapons, not everything is so bad. We can say that we have a dangerous weapon, and it is really deadly. Take, for example, a new generation tank "Armata", which has no analogues in the whole world. We will soon have electronic pilots, "smart" rockets, all this is not a development, but a reality, which will be discussed a little later.

Latest weapon designs

If now the Russian army is armed with weapons of the 3rd and 4th generations, then soon it is planned to supply systems of the 5th generation. It is for this simple reason that it is too early to talk about the 6th generation. But if you look into the near future, say, in 2016, then Russia has succeeded here, and it has something to brag about. First of all, this is the 5th generation T-50 aircraft, which is planned to be delivered in 2016. It is made using ste alth technology, that is, it will be difficult to determine it by radar. There will also be a fundamentally new avionics integrated with an electronic pilot. Now all this seems unimaginable, but such systems have already been tested and work.

But this is not all the possibilities of the T-50. It can develop supersonic speeds without afterburner, and is also equipped with an electronic warfare system called the Himalayas. Today, only the US Air Force is armed with 5th generation fighters, but development is underway in China andRussia. Such units are very expensive, but with all this, the capabilities of such aircraft are very large.

drones of the future

Today, more and more people are thinking about how to make a full-fledged aircraft, but without a crew. The drone is not yet such, however, modern developments indicate that this is a serious and effective technique. The main tasks facing the designers are to install powerful weapons and make it possible to rescue the wounded or hostages. The United States is actively developing drones. Such drones will still be auxiliary on the battlefield, but, despite this, extremely useful. They will be engaged in the transportation of goods, transport the wounded, conduct reconnaissance and destroy unarmored targets. The Americans plan to create drones that can help in any situation, regardless of weather conditions and conditions. In addition, the ability to conduct electronic warfare is important. Therefore, it is possible that such a new secret weapon will be equipped with pulse cannons.

Armata combat platform

As noted above, we are not so bad. Russia leads in the production of Armata combat platforms, which belong to the 5th generation. Until recently, it was a mystery what kind of tank would appear on the Victory Day parade. Now we know that this is the Armata tank, which has no analogues in the whole world. Americans after what they saw immediatelythought about the modernization of their equipment, which, in fact, is not surprising. The crew of the tank is located in an isolated capsule, which protects people from fire and fragments. Nevertheless, the armor of the "Armata" is able to withstand a direct hit from any existing or promising weapon. The tank itself is armed with a 125-mm cannon, which fires armor-piercing sub-caliber shells. The machine control is digital, and the tool is remote. It is very convenient, safe and effective.

Terrible "Prometheus" S-500

5th generation anti-aircraft missile systems are already in Russia. These are the S-500 Prometheus complexes. This is an impressive weapon, which is also multifunctional. The S-500 is capable of hitting interballistic missiles in space. "Prometheus", without any doubt, is a very promising weapon. Surface-to-air missiles are capable of hitting a target located at an altitude of 3,500 kilometers, flying at a speed of 5 kilometers per minute. Another characteristic of Prometheus is also surprising, which allows you to hit about 10 supersonic missiles at a distance of 600 kilometers. Despite the fact that the S-500 is already in the Russian Federation, they are not in service. It is planned to deliver them to the army in 2016. According to many experts, the S-500 alone is not capable of changing the course of the battle, but in combination with other defensive weapons, the Prometheus will become a reliable barrier protecting the air borders of our country.

Hypersonic is a reality

In fact, it is difficult to say something about what modern US weapons have. Obviously the mostinteresting remains a secret. Nevertheless, it has recently become known that the Americans are developing and testing the X-51A Waverider. These are hypersonic missiles that are capable of speeds of the order of 6.5-7.5 thousand km/h. The first tests did not bring any results. But already in 2013, the rocket flew about 500 km in 6 minutes. In the end, it was possible to develop a speed of about 5 thousand km / h. Russia is also conducting similar work, but we have an earlier stage. Now let's move on.

High-precision weapons and robotics

Of course, advanced weapon developments are ongoing daily. But special attention should be paid to robotics, as more and more people are talking about it. How convenient it is to replace a soldier with a robot that would make decisions more quickly, make no mistakes and shoot more accurately. But this is still on the verge of fantasy. Nevertheless, the Russian SAR-400 will soon be indispensable on the battlefield. He can defuse bombs, perform the functions of a repairman and scout. It has no analogues in the world.

Conclusion

So we talked about the weapons of the near future and the present. Of course, plasma weapons are unlikely to be used yet, nevertheless, their development is underway. In particular, there are many limitations associated with the properties of the plasma, which is not as durable as we would like it to be. Still, plasma weapons will appear, but it is not known when. The same goes for energy weapons. But all this in the near future will not be able to replace the powerful cannons of tanks and howitzers that fire projectiles. The same applies to combataircraft, bombers and other military equipment. Of course, it is difficult to say what will happen tomorrow, let alone discuss the appearance of plasma torches. In addition, it is now difficult to imagine exactly how and under what conditions plasma for ammunition will be produced. The same applies to the cost of the substance.