The MTHEL Laser

( Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser )

This is a mobile, high-energy laser installation, emitting in the infrared, a system developed by the firm Northrop-Grumman, which also produces the famous B2. The video below, taken from the company's site, shows this laser in action, capable of destroying in flight projectiles such as shells or rockets fired by Stalin organs, these two projectiles traveling at supersonic speed.

http://www.st.northropgrumman.com/media/VideoInfo.cfm?VideoID=19 (archive of 10/10/2004)

My comment:

It is of course very spectacular. Here we find again the infinite confidence that Americans have in pure technology solutions. In this film one can see that the laser managed to destroy the projectile during its ballistic trajectory, but that this was not instantaneous. The performance lies in the acquisition of the target-projectile and in its tracking by the laser. That being said, this is a demonstration firing which is very probably carried out under optimal conditions. The power delivered by a system emitting radiation varies as the inverse of the square of the distance. In this test everything was doubtless arranged "as best as possible" from the ballistic standpoint. The same goes for the meteorological conditions (zero cloud cover, low air turbulence). The problem is the reliability of the defense system. What to do if the enemy attacks you with a battery of Katyushas (the famous "Stalin Organs"). The rate of fire is then extremely high. The same could be true for shell fire. To saturate a defense based on high-power lasers it would suffice to carry out simultaneous firings, in number, on a given target. Protection would then quickly become illusory because as many lasers in action would be needed as shells or rockets fired. What to do if the weather is overcast, if the strong air turbulence, near the ground, in direct fire disperses the energy radiated by the laser?

One thing is certain: this product will further enrich the military-industrial lobby that produces it. It reminds me of the title of a book by Jean Lartéguy, at the time when the Americans had taken over for the Indochina war:

A million dollars per Viet

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