DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF LASER RADIATION PARAMETERS ON THE DESTRUCTION OF MATERIALS USED TO MANUFACTURE UAV
Authors:   E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bernatskyi Artemii , Siora Oleksandr ,   E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: November 2024

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in military conflicts. This phenomenon has become one of the key trends in modern warfare, affecting the tactics, strategy and outcome of military operations. As the use of UAVs increases, the need for technologies to neutralize them grows at the same time. Modern technologies for neutralizing military UAVs are developing rapidly in response to the increasing use of drones in military conflicts. These technologies are designed to detect, intercept, and destroy UAVs, which can be especially important in protecting critical facilities and units from attacks and reconnaissance. The modern UAV neutralization technologies that have been most actively developed in recent years include the use of high-power microwave pulse installations and laser systems. Accordingly, the task of studying and adequately assessing the results of the interaction of laser radiation with the materials from which UAVs are made remains relevant. The study of the interaction of laser radiation with the materials from which UAVs are made is a critical task for the effective use of laser systems in the fight against drones. The purpose of this study is to develop an author's own methodology for determining the effect of laser radiation parameters on the destruction of materials from which UAV parts are made. Methodology. The data were systematized and a comparative critical analysis of a large amount of information obtained from various sources (news, comments, official statements, interviews, reports of various agencies and organizations, popular science articles, scientific articles, etc.) was carried out in the context of the prospects of using laser systems to combat UAVs. Promising directions of the stages of development of the laser module of a mobile installation for the destruction of UAVs are identified. Different methods of conducting experimental research to study the interaction of laser radiation with the materials from which UAVs are made are considered. The provisions of our own methodology for experimental studies of the interaction of laser radiation with materials from which UAVs are made were developed and experimentally tested on the FR-2 synthetic resin bonded paper. Results. The provisions of our own methodology for experimental studies of the interaction of laser radiation with the materials from which UAVs are made have been developed and tested on the FR-2 synthetic resin bonded paper. Practical implications. The developed methodology is a multi-stage process that requires in-depth research in the field of materials science, laser physics, and thermal processes. This technique can become the basis for the creation of effective laser air defense systems capable of quickly and accurately neutralizing drones on the battlefield. After analyzing the data obtained after a series of experiments, it can be concluded that to pierce a 2 mm thick FR-2 synthetic resin bonded paper, it is necessary to use a laser operating mode that must have a sufficiently high power density (at least 5000-7000 W/cm2). This allows the material to pierce the FR-2 samples in most of the conditions presented in the experiment. Value/originality. An adequate assessment of the interaction of laser radiation with the materials from which UAVs are made allows developers and military experts to determine exactly what types of lasers are most effective in destroying specific materials from which UAVs are made and what parameters of laser installations are needed to achieve the desired result.