Abstract

The laser technology has made remarkable progress over the past couple of decades. It is being widely employed in diverse domains, such as holography, space sciences, spectroscopy, medical sciences, micro and power electronics, industrial engineering, and most distinctively, as directed energy military weapons. Owing to their active transmissions, laser systems are similar to microwave radars to some extent; however, unlike conventional radars, the laser operates at very high frequencies thus making it a potent enabler of narrow-beam and high energy aerial deployments, both in offensive and defensive roles. In modern avionics systems, laser target indicators and beam riders are the most common devices that are used to direct the Laser Guided Weapons (LGW) accurately to the ground targets. Additionally, compact size and outstanding angular resolution of laser-based systems motivate their use for drones and unmanned aerial applications. Moreover, the narrow-beam divergence of laser emissions offers a low probability of intercept, making it a suitable contender for secure transmissions and safety-critical operations. Furthermore, the developments in space sciences and laser technology have given synergistic potential outcomes to use laser systems in space operations. This paper comprehensively reviews laser applications and projects for strategic defense actions on the ground or in space. Additionally, a detailed analysis has been done on recent advancements of the laser technology for target indicators and range-finders. It also reviews the advancements in the field of laser communications for surveillance, its earlier state of the art, and ongoing scientific research and advancements in the domain of high energy directed laser weapons that have revolutionized the evolving military battlefield. Besides offering a comprehensive taxonomy, the paper also critically analyzes some of the recent contributions in the associated domains.