The Navy Is Arming Attack Submarines With High Energy Lasers
H I Sutton
H I SuttonContributor
Aerospace & Defense
I cover the changing world of underwater warfare.
The U.S. Navy's Virginia Class attack submarines are formidable weapons platforms. They carry advanced-capability (ADCAP) torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. But apparently this is not enough. They are to be the first subs in the world armed with a powerful laser as well.
Documents suggest that the High Energy Laser (HEL) could be incredibly powerful, around 300 kilowatts. And eventually be up to 500 kilowatts. The power will come from the submarine’s nuclear reactor which has a capacity of 30 megawatts. And there are indications that it may already have been tested using a towed power generator instead.
It is likely to be incorporated into the periscope system of the submarine. The periscope mast, nowadays called a Photonics mast, is already a highly sophisticated device. It isn’t like periscopes of old where the captain looked directly through it. Instead it has an array of cameras which can snap high resolution photos in 360 degrees. So the submarine only has to put the mast up for a fleeting moment to get full all-round awareness. With the laser, if it can see it, it can kill it.
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It is unclear why the Navy wants to fit a laser to submarines. One of the possible uses will be as a last ditch defense against aircraft such as drones and anti-submarine helicopters. Traditionally submarines were equipped with machine guns to defend against air attack when they were on the surface. But postwar submarines spend very little time on the surface. The U.S. Navy hasn't built subs with guns for around 70 years.
During the Cold War the British developed the Submarine Launched Airflight Missile, or SLAM. This used a mast with an optical sensor and 6 Blowpipe missiles which could be slaved to the periscope. The missiles had a very short range but could engage enemy helicopters. SLAM was to equip Israeli submarines but it was ultimately never fitted. Today the German Interactive Defense and Attack System (IDAS) uses missiles fired from the torpedo tube to engage aircraft.
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But the high energy laser could have some advantages over missiles. The submarine will only have to reveal itself briefly to zap the threat. And because the laser travels at the speed of light it is very difficult to defend against. Low cost drones are proliferating and submarines operating inshore may face swarms of them. A laser would be cheaper per-kill and not run out of ammunition in the way that a missile system would.
The laser may also be intended for swarms of speed boats such as those used by Iran and North Korea. Individually these are not worth expending torpedoes on and also move very fast which makes torpedo attacks harder. In the old days submarines would surface and use their deck guns on lower value targets. But today the submarine has to let them pass so the laser could provide an alternative.
Finally the laser may be intended to strike coastal targets such as radar stations, submarine piers or communications masts. The target would have to be of sufficiently high value to warrant the inherent risks of placing the submarine so close however.
For the moment the Navy is not providing very much information on the project. So it may be years before the full capabilities of this system are revealed. Whatever the rationale it could quickly become a differentiating capability for American subs.
H I Sutton
Original article
