The world wants more laser guns. That’s the conclusion of a report that predicts that directed energy weapons—which use energy in the form of laser, microwave and particle beams—will grow at a whopping 25 percent compound annual rate until 2027.
The market’s strength will be fueled by rising demand for laser weapon systems, the increase in urban warfare and a growing appetite for non-lethal weapons. The North American market is expected to generate the most revenue, since most of the weapons producers are based in the United States. But the biggest growth will take place in the Asia-Pacific region: China, South Korea, India and Australia have all poured money into research and development of these weapons.
Not surprisingly, defense and homeland security are the key buyers in this sector. Some of the companies investing in this technology—and which are well-positioned to capitalize on growing demand—are aerospace and defense giants Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing. Companies such as L-3 Brashear, Textron, QinetiQ, Moog, Rheinmetall, and BAE Systems will also capture significant shares of the market.
This surge of interest in these weapons could be seen as a response to the rise of other high-tech weapons—particularly drones on the battlefield and hypersonic missiles at high altitudes. The U.S. Congress and the Pentagon both support the development of these technologies.
“Imagine a menacing swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles surveilling and threatening U.S. soldiers on the battlefield,” proposes Defense News in an article. “We now have the capability to counter this threat with [energy weapons].” With regard to hypersonic missiles, which are too fast and agile for conventional missile interception systems, energy weapons are uniquely suited to counter them—a missile can`t outrace a laser beam.
The growth, while impressive, won’t come without challenges. The energy weapons sector is still in its infancy. These weapons will need to be integrated into existing weapons platforms—which will cost time and money. The technology itself is expensive to develop, meaning there will be limits on funding sources, testing facilities as well as a small group of buyers. In addition, strict regulations govern these weapons. Also, the weapons themselves will need further improvement as they are highly susceptible to damage and degradation from their environment.
The high-tech weapons race will continue to be lucrative as technologies such as energy weapons become more sophisticated and more widespread.
Read more about the latest advances in energy weapons at Inside the U.S. Missile Agency’s Quest for a UAV Laser Weapon to Take Out ICBMs.