Soviet Directed-Energy Weapons Program - 1985
This declassified document is a syndicated newspaper column by Jack Anderson and Dale Van Atta, published in the Washington Post on September 6, 1985. It highlights US intelligence assessments from that era concerning Soviet advancements in directed-energy weapons and specialized power generation.
1. The Krasnoarmeysk Laser Facility
Discovery: The CIA identified a major laser test center at Krasnoarmeysk, located approximately 30 miles northeast of Moscow.
Operational Status: Intelligence sources at the time tracking the site asserted that the facility was actively producing functional laser weapons, rather than just conducting foundational laboratory research.
Management: The site was run by an "integrated design bureau." The authors note that while the USSR typically used competing design bureaus to develop military hardware (like tanks or missiles), they abandoned this approach for the laser program to avoid wasting time on top-priority tech.
2. Scale of the Soviet Program
Timeline: The CIA tracked a dedicated Soviet military laser research program dating back to at least 1970.
Infrastructure: The program spanned at least half a dozen major R&D facilities and test ranges, employing more than 10,000 scientists and engineers.
Funding Comparison: The CIA estimated that duplicating the Soviet infrastructure and progress would cost the US roughly $1 billion per year. At the time of publication, the Reagan administration had earmarked about $800 million for laser weapons research for 1986, framing the US position as one of "playing catch-up."
3. Rocket-Driven Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Generators
The article highlights a specific technological edge the Soviets held in powering these high-energy systems:
The Technology: A unique feature of the Soviet laser program was the deployment of a rocket-driven magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator.
Mechanism: The document quotes a secret State Department report explaining the principle: "it generates current by passing a conducting fluid through a magnetic field." In this setup, a rocket engine's high-velocity, high-temperature ionized exhaust gas acts as the conducting fluid.
Performance: The system reportedly produced 15 megawatts of short-term electricity, serving as the primary, rapid-fire power source required to pump the lasers.
Intelligence Assessment: The State Department report noted that the Soviet MHD program was the largest in the world, with power outputs exceeding Western capabilities "several fold."
The report explicitly stated:
"MHD is a technology area where the Soviets clearly lead the U.S. in demonstrated capability. In fact, there is no counterpart device in the West."
