Laser guidance
Encyclopedia
Laser guidance is a technique of guiding a missile or other projectile or vehicle to a target by means of a laser beam. Some laser guided systems utilise beam riding
guidance, but most operate more similarly to semi-active radar homing
(SARH). This technique is sometimes called SALH, for Semi-Active Laser Homing. With this technique, a laser
is kept pointed at the target and the laser radiation bounces off the target and is scattered in all directions (this is known as “painting the target”, or “laser painting”). The missile, bomb, etc. is launched or dropped somewhere near the target. When it is close enough for some of the reflected laser energy from the target to reach it, a laser seeker detects which direction this energy is coming from and adjusts the projectile trajectory towards the source. While the projectile is in the general area and the laser is kept aimed at the target, the projectile should be guided accurately to the target.
Note that laser guidance is not useful against targets that do not reflect much laser energy, including those coated in special paint which absorbs laser energy. This is likely to be widely used by advanced military vehicles in order to make it harder to use laser rangefinders against them and harder to hit them with laser-guided munitions. An obvious circumvention would be to aim the laser merely close to the target.
Countermeasures to laser guidance are Laser detection systems
, Smoke screen, anti-laser active protection systems.
Beam riding
Beam-riding, also known as beam guidance, is a technique of directing a missile to its target by means of radar or a laser beam. The name refers to the way the missile flies down the guidance beam, which is aimed at the target...
guidance, but most operate more similarly to semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing, or SARH, is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive detector of a radar signal – provided by an external ...
(SARH). This technique is sometimes called SALH, for Semi-Active Laser Homing. With this technique, a laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
is kept pointed at the target and the laser radiation bounces off the target and is scattered in all directions (this is known as “painting the target”, or “laser painting”). The missile, bomb, etc. is launched or dropped somewhere near the target. When it is close enough for some of the reflected laser energy from the target to reach it, a laser seeker detects which direction this energy is coming from and adjusts the projectile trajectory towards the source. While the projectile is in the general area and the laser is kept aimed at the target, the projectile should be guided accurately to the target.
Note that laser guidance is not useful against targets that do not reflect much laser energy, including those coated in special paint which absorbs laser energy. This is likely to be widely used by advanced military vehicles in order to make it harder to use laser rangefinders against them and harder to hit them with laser-guided munitions. An obvious circumvention would be to aim the laser merely close to the target.
Countermeasures to laser guidance are Laser detection systems
Laser warning receiver
A laser warning receiver is a type of warning system used as a passive military defence. It detects laser emission from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders. Then it alerts the crew and can start various countermeasures, like smoke wall, aerosol screen A laser warning receiver is a type of...
, Smoke screen, anti-laser active protection systems.