The role of high-powered laser weapons on the future battlefield

Abstract

technological evolution is a constant of humanity that has reached the military level, emerging different weapons systems and resources that are able for use in war operations and other than war. In this way, it is seen as a new military element the high-energy laser weapons (HELW) that, after four decades of development, are close to being used operatively. This article seeks to expose some characteristics and capabilities of the so-called HELW, presenting a generic future battlefield (CBF) to the year 2040, which is used to determine the role that named HELW will probably have in the future.