Which technology offers the best defense against drones? Lasers or mobile gun trucks? | DW News

Key Concepts

Drone incursions, NATO, Russia, drone wall, integrated air defense, sensors, effectors, drone swarms, laser weapons, high-powered microwave, collateral damage, cost imposition strategy, proliferation, laser weapon systems, infrared lasers, deep magazine, speed of engagement, dwell time.

Drone Incursions and NATO's Response

• The Dilemma: Multiple European NATO members (Denmark, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Germany) have reported drone incursions into their airspace. NATO is blaming Russia, which denies responsibility.
• US Stance: President Trump stated he would support allies shooting down Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace, but direct US support would "depend on the circumstances."
• European Commission's Proposal: A "drone wall," an aerial defense system to intercept drones in Eastern European airspace.
• Germany's Reality Check: Germany's defense minister tempered expectations, stating a drone wall is unlikely within 3-4 years and that priorities lie elsewhere. They advocate for drone defense but not necessarily a "drone wall."

Analysis of Drone Incursions

• Two Types of Incursions:
  • Attributable to Russia: Like the one in Poland involving Russian military drones that were shot down or crashed.
  • Unattributable: Likely commercial fixed-wing drones, making attribution difficult.
• Russia's Potential Motives: Testing NATO's resolve and attempting to bully the alliance into reducing support for Ukraine.

The "Drone Wall" Concept and Integrated Air Defense

• Misnomer: The term "drone wall" is misleading.
• Integrated Network: Drone defenses should be part of a larger, integrated network of air defenses for Eastern Europe, something NATO has been striving for.
• Prioritized Locations: Defense should focus on prioritized locations, supplemented by capabilities like NATO fighter aircraft.
• Mobile Assets: Some defenses need to be mobile due to the impossibility of creating an impenetrable wall.

Challenges of Defending Against Drones

• Detection Difficulties: Drones are slow and fly low, making them hard to detect. Defenses are optimized for faster targets like jets and missiles.
• Identification Challenges: Ensuring the object is a hostile drone and not a commercial aircraft.
• Limited Interception Time: Drones are often detected close to the target, leaving little time to react.
• Cost Imposition Strategy: Shooting down cheap drones with expensive surface-to-air missiles (e.g., Iris-T, Nissan, Patriot) is a cost-inefficient strategy for NATO.

Laser Weapons as a Potential Solution

• Uneven Progress: Development of laser weapons has been challenging, with the US military experiencing difficulties. Only the US Navy has deployed them.
• Ideal Platforms: Naval ships are suitable due to their large size and power generation capabilities.
• Fixed Defenses: Lasers could be useful for fixed defenses of critical infrastructure or bases.
• Collateral Damage Concerns: Potential damage to aircraft or satellites.
• Near-Term Solution: Gun-based systems, like the Gepard anti-aircraft guns used by Ukraine, are a more cost-effective solution.

Drone Swarms and High-Powered Microwaves

• Overwhelming Defenses: Drone swarms can overwhelm kinetic defensive systems (lasers, guns, missiles).
• High-Powered Microwave (HPM): Can take down multiple drones simultaneously by frying their electronics with a burst of electromagnetic energy.
• Short Range and Collateral Damage: HPMs have short range and potential collateral damage to nearby electronics.
• Low Collateral Options: Defending populated areas requires low collateral options, limiting available defenses.
• Jamming Resistance: Many drones are not susceptible to jamming.

Drone Proliferation and Cost-Effective Strategies

• Commercial Technology: Drones are based on readily available commercial technology, making them cheap and easily weaponized.
• Commercial Subcomponents: Even military drones use commercial components (cameras, antennas), contributing to their low cost.
• Cost-Effective Protection: The need to find cost-effective ways to protect forces and people without solely focusing on protection.

Laser Weapon Systems: How They Work

• Scaled-Up Laser Pointer: Laser weapons are similar to laser pointers but with significantly higher power levels and different wavelengths (typically infrared).
• Infrared Spectrum: Military lasers operate in the infrared spectrum to avoid eye damage.
• Power Source: Road-mobile systems are powered by battery systems (200-300 shots), while grid-connected systems can fire almost endlessly.

Advantages of Lasers vs. Missiles/Guns

• Deep Magazine: Lasers offer a virtually unlimited number of shots compared to guns or missiles.
• Speed of Engagement: Lasers operate at the speed of light, resulting in very fast engagement times (seconds).
• Dwell Time: Lasers require "dwell time" on the target to burn through it, similar to a hot knife through butter.
• Target Prosecution Rate: Despite dwell time, lasers can prosecute approximately 20 targets per minute.

Conclusion

Defending against drone incursions and swarms presents a complex challenge. While the idea of a "drone wall" is unrealistic in the short term, an integrated air defense system is crucial. Laser weapons hold promise but face technological and practical limitations. Cost-effective solutions, such as gun-based systems and high-powered microwaves, are also being explored. The proliferation of cheap drones necessitates a multi-faceted approach that balances protection with other military objectives.