Electric weapons on the battlefield – Literature survey of electrification of platforms, electromagnetic launch and tactical laser weapons

The trend to electrify military platforms is continuing, and the concepts All- Electric Combat Vehicle, All-Electric Ship and More Electric Aircraft are today not merely concepts, but are being implemented. The electrification includes also the development and implementation of weapons and protection systems based on pulsed electric energy, or pulsed power. Examples of such systems are tactical laser weapons and systems based on electromagnetic launch. The present report document a literature survey of this development trend. The conclusions of the review include:  Tactical laser weapons based on solid-state lasers have been demonstrated to have the ability to act as air defence (TRL 6). Tactical laser weapons could provide ground-based air defence against small targets that are difficult to engage with conventional weapons.  Electromagnetic launch is now a mature technology and it is undergoing implementation in operational environment (TRL 7 and above). Examples are the Electromagnetic Launch System (EMALS) which is currently being installed in the next generation of US Aircraft Carriers, and the US Navy Railgun which is to launch kinetic-energy projectiles with hypervelocity impact. Today, Sweden is not actively engaged in either of these two areas.