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Threat of incendiary balloons and drones
There is a strong necessity to design an effective protection system that allows the elimination of airborne incendiary devices. Balloons with attached incendiary materials, explosives, and munitions present a great threat because with them it is possible to burn fields, destroy plants, animal life, endanger civilians, and soldiers. The possible solution to the problem is the use of fiber laser systems.
Fiber lasers as an effective solution
Laser systems are considered to be a perfect solution that enables the elimination of balloons and drone threats, as well as precision missiles. Although the balloons or kites that moved across the border are pushed by the wind at a slower pace, the speed of the laser beams is regarded as much faster (even equal to the speed of light).
Accuracy and efficiency of fiber lasers
Fiber laser systems allow shooting down the incendiary balloons by a high-quality laser beam with high certainty and accuracy. Moreover, compared to conventional solutions, weapons based on fiber laser technology are considered to offer more efficiency and accuracy; the economic cost of applying laser systems is quite low in contrast to the high cost of conventional weapons.
History of laser-based defense systems
Israel was the first developer of laser beam weapons against Qassams and missiles. Israeli researchers developed laser systems in 1996 to protect the territory. Despite the great results, the fiber laser technology was not ideal enough and required future improvements. The increased manufacturing of high-speed and accurate missiles in large quantities leads to an urgent necessity for the improvement and creation of weapons based on fiber laser technology.
Current role and challenges
These laser systems play a crucial role because there is no substitute for them in the meantime. Additionally, the researchers confirm that they can overcome the challenges, for instance, when the effectiveness of fiber laser systems reduces under bad weather and atmospheric conditions, and on rainy and cloudy days, resulting in highly efficient protection.
That is why there is a current requirement to design powerful fiber lasers and to combine them with modern kinetic systems. The government of Israel plans to remove the threat of the tunnels by designing, developing, and manufacturing fiber laser energy weapon systems.