Why Guns Still Matter in Bad Weather

Introduction

Directed energy weapons promise extremely fast engagements and low cost per shot, but they share a basic vulnerability: the atmosphere sits between the weapon and its target. In layered air defence, that reality explains why rapid-fire guns remain in service even as militaries invest heavily in lasers and high-power microwaves. Rain, fog, dust, smoke, haze and deliberately deployed battlefield obscurants can weaken, scatter or distort laser beams, reducing the amount of energy that reaches a target. When weather degrades a directed-energy layer, commanders still need a reliable way to stop drones, missiles or aircraft at close range. That is where cannon-based systems continue to earn their place. Rather than replacing guns, directed energy has generally been added as another layer above them, leaving kinetic weapons as a dependable fallback when atmospheric conditions become unfavourable.[Defence Science Review+2Science.gc.ca]com.plpdf 216776 135052Defence Science ReviewDEFENCE SCIENCE REVIEWJanuary 17, 2026 — by A Karkadakattil · 2026 · Cited by 1 — Objectives: This review aims to e…

How Weather Weakens Laser Engagements

The attraction of a laser weapon is straightforward: it delivers energy at the speed of light and does not need a physical projectile. The challenge is that the beam must travel through air all the way to the target. Every droplet, particle and atmospheric disturbance along that path can reduce effectiveness. Research and defence assessments consistently identify rain, fog, smoke, dust, aerosols and turbulence as significant constraints on laser propagation.[Defence Science Review+2CIAO]com.plpdf 216776 135052Defence Science ReviewDEFENCE SCIENCE REVIEWJanuary 17, 2026 — by A Karkadakattil · 2026 · Cited by 1 — Objectives: This review aims to e…

Several mechanisms are involved:

• Absorption: Water vapour, droplets and particles absorb part of the beam’s energy.
• Scattering: Fog, smoke and dust redirect energy away from the intended aim point.
• Beam distortion: Turbulence and thermal effects can spread or deform the beam, lowering energy density on the target.
• Tracking difficulties: Poor visibility can make it harder to maintain precise aim on a small, moving object long enough to achieve damage.[NDU Press+2Security and Defence]ndupress.ndu.eduNDU PressEffects of Directed Energy Weapons - NDU PressSeptember 18, 2014 — 16 Jun 2017 — Thermal blooming results when the absorption of…Published: September 18, 2014

These are not merely theoretical concerns. Defence analyses repeatedly note that laser effectiveness declines in fog, rain, smoke, sea spray and dusty environments. Even advocates of laser air defence systems typically describe weather as one of the principal operational limitations that commanders must account for when planning engagements.[Science.gc.ca+3Drill & Defense+3AeroVironment]drillanddefense.comWeather and atmosphere can reduce effectiveness. Fog, rain, smoke, dust, sea spray, and…

An additional complication is that modern battlefields are often intentionally obscured. Smoke screens have long been used to interfere with optical systems. Studies of laser interaction with smoke show that obscurants can absorb and scatter incoming energy, reducing transmission and making target engagement more difficult. A defender cannot assume the atmosphere will remain clear during combat.[Researching]researching.cnSimulation study of smoke screen jamming laser terminal…18 May 2022 — Smoke screen scatters and absorbs energy from the inc…Published: May 2022

Why Close-In Guns Remain Useful

Gun systems face their own limitations, but they do not depend on maintaining a high-energy beam through the atmosphere. Once fired, a projectile carries its destructive effect physically toward the target. Heavy rain may influence accuracy, and visibility still matters for sensors, but cannon-based defences are generally less vulnerable to the specific propagation problems that affect laser weapons.[Drill & Defense]drillanddefense.comWeather and atmosphere can reduce effectiveness. Fog, rain, smoke, dust, sea spray, and…

This distinction becomes especially important against short-range threats. Small drones, loitering munitions and incoming missiles can appear with little warning. A laser may need several seconds of stable tracking and energy delivery to create a destructive effect. If weather, smoke or manoeuvring interrupts that process, the engagement can fail. A gun-based system instead relies on rapidly placing projectiles into the target’s path.[Security and Defence]securityanddefence.plSecurity and DefenceTesting the efficiency of laser technology to destroy…by MZ Chaari · 2020 · Cited by 17 — The laser technique is a…

Modern close-in weapon systems (CIWS) embody this philosophy. They are designed specifically to engage threats that have penetrated outer defensive layers. Their purpose is not elegant efficiency but dependable interception under stressful, time-compressed conditions. Many navies and air-defence operators continue to retain such systems even while experimenting with laser-based alternatives.[Wikipedia]wikipedia.orgClose-in weapon systemClose-in weapon system

The continued investment in gun systems reflects a practical judgement: weather does not need to defeat a laser completely to create risk. If atmospheric conditions reduce confidence in a successful engagement, commanders want another layer that operates according to different physical principles. Guns provide that diversity.

The Last-Ditch Role After Other Layers Fail

Layered air defence is built around redundancy. No single technology is expected to work perfectly against every target, in every environment, at every range. Lasers are increasingly viewed as an economical way to handle certain aerial threats, especially drones, but planners generally position them within a broader architecture that includes missiles, electronic warfare and kinetic defences.[GAO+2Science.gc.ca]gao.govgao 23 106717Science & Tech Spotlight: Directed Energy Weapons25 May 2023 — Directed energy weapons—such as lasers—use energy fired at the speed of…Published: May 2023

In a typical layered model:

The logic is especially compelling during poor weather. A drone attack launched through rain, sea mist or battlefield smoke may reduce laser effectiveness precisely when defenders most need certainty. Under those conditions, a gun-based layer becomes less a legacy system than a risk-management tool. It protects against the possibility that the atmosphere itself has become an ally of the attacker. EOS AUS+2AeroVironment

Why the Debate Persists Despite Better Lasers

Laser technology continues to improve. Adaptive optics, improved beam control, higher power levels and atmospheric compensation techniques are all intended to reduce the impact of weather and turbulence. Researchers have demonstrated methods that partially mitigate atmospheric effects, and defence programmes continue to pursue more resilient directed-energy systems. ResearchGate+2Wikimedia Commons

Yet improvement is not the same as elimination. The atmosphere remains a variable that cannot be fully controlled in combat. Even advanced laser systems must contend with precipitation, aerosols, thermal blooming and battlefield obscurants. Because the underlying physics have not disappeared, military planners remain cautious about replacing kinetic layers outright. Wikipedia+3NDU Press+3Defense Intelligence Agency

The result is a persistent design choice across modern air-defence architectures: directed energy may reduce the burden on missiles and improve efficiency against many threats, but bad weather still provides a strong argument for retaining guns. When visibility collapses, smoke fills the battlespace or a target suddenly appears at close range, the final line of defence is often still a cannon rather than a beam. Wikipedia+3Science.gc.ca+3Drill & Defense

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Further Reading

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Endnotes

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Title: directed energy weapons
Link:https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/safeguarding-your-research/guidelines-and-tools-implement-research-security/emerging-technology-trend-cards/directed-energy-weapons

2. Source: ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu
Link:https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/sa/sa_feb01ghc01.html

3. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307435846_Atmospheric_Propagation_of_High-Energy_Laser_Beams

4. Source: ndupress.ndu.edu
Link:https://ndupress.ndu.edu/portals/68/Documents/Books/CTBSP-Exports/Effects-of-Directed-Energy-Weapons.pdf?ver=2017-06-16-125220-170

Published: September 18, 2014

5. Source: upload.wikimedia.org
Link:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/High_energy_laser_propagation_in_various_atmospheric_conditions_utilizing_a_new%2C_accelerated_scaling_code_%28IA_highenergylaserp1094542628%29.pdf

6. Source: eos-aus.com
Title: EOS AUSThe hottest new defense against drones?
Link:https://eos-aus.com/news/the-hottest-new-defense-against-drones-lasers/

7. Source: researching.cn
Link:https://www.researching.cn/articles/OJ6cc2b3b41825c619

Published: May 2022

8. Source: Wikipedia
Title: Laser weapon
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_weapon

10. Source: gao.gov
Title: gao 23 106717
Link:https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106717

Published: May 2023

11. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403676537Laser-Based_Directed_Energy_Weapons_Technological_Capabilities_Material_Interaction_and_Strategic[Deployment

12. Source: directed.com
Title: DIRECTE D
Link:https://www.directed.com/

13. Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser

14. Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378698575_Comparative_Analysis_Of_A_Multi-Layered_Weapon_System_For_City_Air_Defense_In_The_Modern_Warfare

Published: May 2026

15. Source: digitalcommons.ndu.edu
Link:https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=defense-tech-papers

16. Source: inss.ndu.edu
Title: laser focusing defense capabilities
Link:https://inss.ndu.edu/news/Article/4412653/laser-focusing-defense-capabilities/

17. Source: eos-aus.com
Link:https://eos-aus.com/defence/high-energy-laser-weapon/

18. Source: defencesciencereview.com.pl
Title: pdf 216776 135052
Link:https://www.defencesciencereview.com.pl/pdf-216776-135052?filename=Laser-Based-[Directed-Ener

Published: January 17, 2026

19. Source: drillanddefense.com
Link:https://drillanddefense.com/laser-weapons-the-new-layer-in-modern-air-defense/

20. Source: securityanddefence.pl
Link:https://securityanddefence.pl/Testing-the-efficiency-of-laser-technology-to-destroy-the-rogue-drones%2C127360%2C0%2C2.html

21. Source: avinc.com
Title: Aero Vironment How Does Weather Affect Laser Weapons?
Link:https://www.avinc.com/2026/04/08/how-does-weather-affect-laser-weapons-a-more-important-question-than-it-seems/

22. Source: dia.mil
Title: File Id
Link:https://www.dia.mil/FOIA/FOIA-Electronic-Reading-Room/FileId/237622/

23. Source: voxxelectronics.com
Link:https://www.voxxelectronics.com/our-brands/directed

Additional References

24. Source: dictionary.com
Link:https://www.dictionary.com/browse/directed

25. Source: marketresearchfuture.com
Link:https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/naval-close-in-weapon-system-ciws-market-31678

26. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/traveller/comments/1awelhv/unexpected_weapon_limitations/

27. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBsQ6fyr1WE

28. Source: eureka.patsnap.com
Title: report atmospheric effects on long range [laser power]({{ ‘power-costs/’ | relative_url }}) transmission
Link:https://eureka.patsnap.com/report-atmospheric-effects-on-long-range-laser-power-transmission

29. Source: directechs.com
Link:https://www.directechs.com/

30. Source: navylookout.com
Title: last ditch defence the phalanx close in weapon system in focus
Link:https://www.navylookout.com/last-ditch-defence-the-phalanx-close-in-weapon-system-in-focus/

31. Source: dictionary.cambridge.org
Title: C1 [ T ] to tell people the direction in which they must drive
Link:https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/directed

32. Source: reddit.com
Title: Will laser air defense inevitably replace kinetic (i.e
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/CredibleDefense/comments/1chmwav/will_laser_air_defense_inevitably_replace_kinetic/

33. Source: scholar.afit.edu
Title: Thermal blooming is a well documented phenomenon
Link:https://scholar.afit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1774&context=facpub%2F1000