Peresvet laser complex

Testing the nuclear power supply? What power is estimated for the Peresvet laser?

this is probably a training base for the #Peresvet Laser system.
The Laser & support vehicle is clearly visible in front of a shelter



https://twitter.com/border9999/status/1133345608293638144

Peresvet may actually be a nuclear-pump-laser, and its acknowledgement may have been indirectly confirmed back in 2012 in Russian scientific literature. It would make practical sense that a nuclear powered laser would also be a nuclear-pump-laser as well. It was confirmed the power was 1MW (like what I speculated) which leads me to believe that it is indeed Peresvet.

In 2012, the source [1] reported that in the RFNC-VNIITF (Snezhinsk) a gas laser pumped by a nuclear reactor operating at the atomic xenon transition with a wavelength of 2.03 μm was created. The output energy of the laser pulse was 500 J at a peak power of 1.3 MW. This device is the most compact in terms of the volume of active gas medium used (specific laser radiation energy was 32 J / dm³)

https://translate.yandex.com/translate?url=https%3A%2F%2Fru.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%80_%D1%81_%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9&lang=ru-en

A 520 J pulsed gas laser (laser module) was created, pumped by fission products of uranium nuclei, operating at the atomic transition of xenon 5d [3/2] 1 -> 6p [3/2] 1 , with a wavelength of 2.03 mum. The experiments were carried out on the BARS-5 + RUN-2 complex (Fast aperiodic self-quenching reactor and Reactor neutron multiplier). The specific energy of laser radiation obtained in the experiments was ~ 32 J / dm 3 at an efficiency of ~ 3% (the ratio of the output energy of the laser pulse to the energy transferred to the gas medium by fission fragments).

- Russian Federal Nuclear Center --- All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Acad. E.I. Zababakhina, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region, Russia

http://journals.ioffe.ru/articles/14525

magnumcromagnon wrote:Peresvet may actually be a nuclear-pump-laser, and its acknowledgement may have been indirectly confirmed back in 2012 in Russian scientific literature. It would make practical sense that a nuclear powered laser would also be a nuclear-pump-laser as well. It was confirmed the power was 1MW (like what I speculated) which leads me to believe that it is indeed Peresvet.

In 2012, the source [1] reported that in the RFNC-VNIITF (Snezhinsk) a gas laser pumped by a nuclear reactor operating at the atomic xenon transition with a wavelength of 2.03 μm was created. The output energy of the laser pulse was 500 J at a peak power of 1.3 MW. This device is the most compact in terms of the volume of active gas medium used (specific laser radiation energy was 32 J / dm³)

https://translate.yandex.com/translate?url=https%3A%2F%2Fru.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%80_%D1%81_%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9&lang=ru-en

A 520 J pulsed gas laser (laser module) was created, pumped by fission products of uranium nuclei, operating at the atomic transition of xenon 5d [3/2] 1 -> 6p [3/2] 1 , with a wavelength of 2.03 mum. The experiments were carried out on the BARS-5 + RUN-2 complex (Fast aperiodic self-quenching reactor and Reactor neutron multiplier). The specific energy of laser radiation obtained in the experiments was ~ 32 J / dm 3 at an efficiency of ~ 3% (the ratio of the output energy of the laser pulse to the energy transferred to the gas medium by fission fragments).

- Russian Federal Nuclear Center --- All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Acad. E.I. Zababakhina, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region, Russia

http://journals.ioffe.ru/articles/14525

Some wild guesses here. But Im guessing one of the reasons why Peresvet's program got greenlighted is because the laser is boosted with other forms of electromagnetic radiation, including microwaves and gamma radiation, which might allow it to perform the duties of DEW and ECM all in one package. So theoretically speaking Peresvet may actually be both a Laser and a Maser.

magnumcromagnon wrote:

magnumcromagnon wrote:Peresvet may actually be a nuclear-pump-laser, and its acknowledgement may have been indirectly confirmed back in 2012 in Russian scientific literature. It would make practical sense that a nuclear powered laser would also be a nuclear-pump-laser as well. It was confirmed the power was 1MW (like what I speculated) which leads me to believe that it is indeed Peresvet.

In 2012, the source [1] reported that in the RFNC-VNIITF (Snezhinsk) a gas laser pumped by a nuclear reactor operating at the atomic xenon transition with a wavelength of 2.03 μm was created. The output energy of the laser pulse was 500 J at a peak power of 1.3 MW. This device is the most compact in terms of the volume of active gas medium used (specific laser radiation energy was 32 J / dm³)

https://translate.yandex.com/translate?url=https%3A%2F%2Fru.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B5%D1%80_%D1%81_%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9&lang=ru-en

A 520 J pulsed gas laser (laser module) was created, pumped by fission products of uranium nuclei, operating at the atomic transition of xenon 5d [3/2] 1 -> 6p [3/2] 1 , with a wavelength of 2.03 mum. The experiments were carried out on the BARS-5 + RUN-2 complex (Fast aperiodic self-quenching reactor and Reactor neutron multiplier). The specific energy of laser radiation obtained in the experiments was ~ 32 J / dm 3 at an efficiency of ~ 3% (the ratio of the output energy of the laser pulse to the energy transferred to the gas medium by fission fragments).

- Russian Federal Nuclear Center --- All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Acad. E.I. Zababakhina, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region, Russia

http://journals.ioffe.ru/articles/14525

Some wild guesses here. But Im guessing one of the reasons why Peresvet's program got greenlighted is because the laser is boosted with other forms of electromagnetic radiation, including microwaves and gamma radiation, which might allow it to perform the duties of DEW and ECM all in one package. So theoretically speaking Peresvet may actually be both a Laser and a Maser.

This is a likely scenario. In order to increase the effectiveness of a laser shot through the atmosphere, there has to be additional conditioning
to "lubricate" the beam. So lasers of other wavelengths are fired before the main beam. I think that some sort of optimized laser for the
heating of aerosols must be used. It could rapidly evapourate sulfate and even black carbon aerosols which act to dramatically attenuate any
laser beam.

There may even be a sort group effect construct. So various frequency lasers are fired at once and create a front which allows the beam to
burrow farther through the atmosphere. I recall talk of such pre-conditioning before so people have been researching this for years.

It is perfectly normal for modern HEAT rounds to use multiple charges to penetrate very heavy armour too...

Automotive chassis nuclear reactor designs presented

At the military-technical forum “Army-2019”, the research and design institute (NIKIET) named after N.A. Dollezhal presented projects of unique reactor installations, including on a car chassis. These are promising installations that, if implemented, will significantly expand the boundaries of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.



What installations are you talking about?

We are talking about promising designs of reactor plants of relatively small nuclear power plants: ATGOR, Shelf, Vityaz and UNITERM.

Earlier it was reported that such mobile nuclear reactors (auto nuclear power plants) can be used in areas with limited electric power resources - remote settlements. Mini-nuclear plants make it possible to reduce the cost of electricity, since the kilowatt-hours generated by a mobile reactor will cost about 1.5-1.7 times cheaper than the same kilowatt-hours produced by diesel-fueled diesel plants, which have to be brought in hundreds of km .

The reactor is equipped on a car chassis - in a protected capsule. According to some reports, it is planned to use an autonomous cooling system.

Today, NIKIET, which is part of Rosatom Corporation, acts as the chief designer of research reactors in the Russian Federation with a capacity of 100 MW (these are the SM-3, MIR, PIK units), the IBR-2 fast rector, and the MBIR multi-purpose fast reactor under construction.

https://topwar.ru/159438-predstavleny-proekty-jadernyh-reaktorov-na-avtomobilnom-shassi.html

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Automotive chassis nuclear reactor designs presented

At the military-technical forum “Army-2019”, the research and design institute (NIKIET) named after N.A. Dollezhal presented projects of unique reactor installations, including on a car chassis. These are promising installations that, if implemented, will significantly expand the boundaries of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.



What installations are you talking about?

We are talking about promising designs of reactor plants of relatively small nuclear power plants: ATGOR, Shelf, Vityaz and UNITERM.

Earlier it was reported that such mobile nuclear reactors (auto nuclear power plants) can be used in areas with limited electric power resources - remote settlements. Mini-nuclear plants make it possible to reduce the cost of electricity, since the kilowatt-hours generated by a mobile reactor will cost about 1.5-1.7 times cheaper than the same kilowatt-hours produced by diesel-fueled diesel plants, which have to be brought in hundreds of km .

The reactor is equipped on a car chassis - in a protected capsule. According to some reports, it is planned to use an autonomous cooling system.

Today, NIKIET, which is part of Rosatom Corporation, acts as the chief designer of research reactors in the Russian Federation with a capacity of 100 MW (these are the SM-3, MIR, PIK units), the IBR-2 fast rector, and the MBIR multi-purpose fast reactor under construction.

https://topwar.ru/159438-predstavleny-proekty-jadernyh-reaktorov-na-avtomobilnom-shassi.html

I am foaming from the mouth from this exciting news. thanks.

PhSt wrote:

thegopnik wrote:

magnumcromagnon wrote:

Automotive chassis nuclear reactor designs presented



https://topwar.ru/159438-predstavleny-proekty-jadernyh-reaktorov-na-avtomobilnom-shassi.html

I am foaming from the mouth from this exciting news. thanks.

Perhaps you celebrate too soon. When Navalny and his Liberat hordes takes over Russia all these projects will be thrown to the garbage bin and Russia will be broken into a minimum of 100+ independent and democratic republics.

Navalny and his ilk did not win anything in the last elections. He just claimed credit for the increased votes of all the "pro-Kremlin" parties. That is something
only a pathetic loser would claim.

Russia's problem is what is happening in Belorus. Russia needs to stage a colour revolution against the NATO bootlick Lukashenko ASAP.

[/quote]Perhaps you celebrate too soon. When Navalny and his Liberat hordes takes over Russia all these projects will be thrown to the garbage bin and Russia will be broken into a minimum of 100+ independent and democratic republics.[/quote]

75% of Russia's seats lean conservative. Literally all eastern European countries lean conservative.

https://www.rbth.com/defence/2015/07/23/russias_new_microwave_gun_to_target_drones_47953.html

In regards to the 100 megawatt nuclear reactor as a power source. What kind of power is needed to destroy missiles? Does anyone have power sources on the Rtut-bm? Because the rtut can destroy artillery shells from reaching troops. I am just wondering if a nuclear reactor would give microwave weapons enough power to make cruise missiles explode to not touch troops or air defenses. I can sense a possible future weapon for example if an air defense is overwhelmed with cruise missiles or out of ammunition there would be a omni-directional microwave weapon that causes cruise missiles to explode from reaching the air defense and inside that umbrella (like the rtut-bm) air defenses can reload than shut the system off to fire again?

Peresvet combat laser system will be placed on an aircraft carrier



Deputy Minister of Defense Alexei Krivoruchko also said that in 2020 they plan to complete the development work on the creation of a laser complex for the destruction of drones and the incapacitation of light-weighted surface targets

MOSCOW, December 28. / TASS /. The Peresvet ground-based combat laser system will be airborne in the coming years. This was announced on Saturday by Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Alexei Krivoruchko in an interview with the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.
“We are working to increase the capacity of the Peresvet complex. In the coming years, it is planned to place it on an aircraft carrier,” he said.
According to him, in terms of creating laser weapons next year, it is planned to "complete the design and development work on creating a tactical laser complex for destroying unmanned aerial vehicles and incapacitating light-armed surface targets in the interests of solving the tasks of the Ground Forces, Airborne Forces and the Navy."
The complex will have a modular principle of building basic systems, which in the long run will allow for a phased increase in the power and range of targets, said the deputy minister. Equipment is being actively equipped with laser systems for protecting the airborne defense systems of strategic, tactical and army aircraft against damage from ground-to-air and air-to-air missiles with optical homing heads. In the interests of the Ground Forces, in 2020 the ROC is completing the creation of a portable automated complex of optoelectronic countermeasures for counter-observation and aiming, and counteracting them with laser radiation.

https://vpk.name/news/361133_boevoi_lazernyi_kompleks_peresvet_razmestyat_na_aviacionnom_nositele.html

Should theoretically work better than the ground-based version due to the fact that at higher altitudes, the thinner layers of atmosphere would cause far less refraction of electromagnetic waves (such as visible light).

Does he mean on an aircraft or does he mean on an aircraft carrier?

There are very specific connotations to each...

To mount on an aircraft would be to give it mobility... which suggests it will be used widely to engage a wide variety of targets... with their IADS being upgraded to deal with drones then I suspect they will end up with a better ability to detect drones than to destroy them for a while while they increase their numbers of smaller cheaper SAMs and get them widely deployed. An airborne laser would be rather useful in such a situation to hit large numbers of drones fairly quickly... smaller lighter drones should be rather vulnerable to such a weapon... if you imagine a flock of birds, a beam would not target one bird at a time, but would deal with a column of birds... obviously an exploding projectile would kill them in greater volumes much faster... but the laser could also be used to destroy any larger higher flying platforms that might be directing or monitoring the swarm... even if it was a satellite...

If he actually means an aircraft carrier (which, with the pictures show suggest the reporter has mistaken for an aircraft that carries the system) then that would explain why it was first used with mobile ICBM units... they want to hide and they want to protect themselves from eyes in the sky and eyes in space and also rather high speed rather long range weapons like hypersonic missiles in development in Russia but also in other places too.

A laser system with an ICBM unit can neutralise optics in space and aircraft and also on the ground nearby that might be tracking them, and presumably can also, in the future, be used to intercept incoming threats like missiles. As a first gen weapon it might just dazzle optics in space, while it could destroy optics on the ground or close by, and it might use different frequencies to damage the electronics inside incoming missiles as well as heat up a small area on the surface to weaken it... like material on the last Space Shuttle crash came off during take off and damaged some heat shielding... it was not important in space but during reentry the weak point destroyed the entire aircraft... the heat shielding is there because it needs to be there, so even removing a square centimetre can be fatal to the incoming weapon if it is flying fast enough and its own speed will destroy it.

With a laser it does not matter if the incoming weapon is moving at 3km/s... from a distance and when the weapon is heading towards you its relative angle change is almost zero. If it was heading past you flying to hit another target it would be moving fast but still could be followed and lased because while it is travelling fast it is not slowing up or down very much so its speed will be pretty steady and turning left or right or climbing or descending wont change is position relative to your perspective (heading towards you or heading past you) that would make it difficult for an automated tracking system to follow you.

The main problem is having enough power and a powerful enough laser for the job.

So the question is... will this be an upgrade for the A-60 Soviet/Russian air borne laser system (which was previously a laser dazzler for satellites and optical airborne systems), or will it be fitted to the Kuznetsov as an upgrade?

I remember in the late 1980s there was a lot of talk and may I say outrage, that the Frunze... the new (at the time) Kirov class vessel was going to be fitted with a laser air defence system. They called it a blinding laser and implied it would be misused by the evil soviets against the pure innocent NATO heros in the air and at sea...

Turned out to be bollocks, though the do have some rather powerful and less than eye safe laser range finders in some of their optical systems fitted to some of their larger ships that the west has complained about...

GarryB wrote:Does he mean on an aircraft or does he mean on an aircraft carrier?

There are very specific connotations to each...

To mount on an aircraft would be to give it mobility... which suggests it will be used widely to engage a wide variety of targets... with their IADS being upgraded to deal with drones then I suspect they will end up with a better ability to detect drones than to destroy them for a while while they increase their numbers of smaller cheaper SAMs and get them widely deployed. An airborne laser would be rather useful in such a situation to hit large numbers of drones fairly quickly... smaller lighter drones should be rather vulnerable to such a weapon... if you imagine a flock of birds, a beam would not target one bird at a time, but would deal with a column of birds... obviously an exploding projectile would kill them in greater volumes much faster... but the laser could also be used to destroy any larger higher flying platforms that might be directing or monitoring the swarm... even if it was a satellite...

If he actually means an aircraft carrier (which, with the pictures show suggest the reporter has mistaken for an aircraft that carries the system) then that would explain why it was first used with mobile ICBM units... they want to hide and they want to protect themselves from eyes in the sky and eyes in space and also rather high speed rather long range weapons like hypersonic missiles in development in Russia but also in other places too.

A laser system with an ICBM unit can neutralise optics in space and aircraft and also on the ground nearby that might be tracking them, and presumably can also, in the future, be used to intercept incoming threats like missiles. As a first gen weapon it might just dazzle optics in space, while it could destroy optics on the ground or close by, and it might use different frequencies to damage the electronics inside incoming missiles as well as heat up a small area on the surface to weaken it... like material on the last Space Shuttle crash came off during take off and damaged some heat shielding... it was not important in space but during reentry the weak point destroyed the entire aircraft... the heat shielding is there because it needs to be there, so even removing a square centimetre can be fatal to the incoming weapon if it is flying fast enough and its own speed will destroy it.

With a laser it does not matter if the incoming weapon is moving at 3km/s... from a distance and when the weapon is heading towards you its relative angle change is almost zero. If it was heading past you flying to hit another target it would be moving fast but still could be followed and lased because while it is travelling fast it is not slowing up or down very much so its speed will be pretty steady and turning left or right or climbing or descending wont change is position relative to your perspective (heading towards you or heading past you) that would make it difficult for an automated tracking system to follow you.

The main problem is having enough power and a powerful enough laser for the job.

So the question is... will this be an upgrade for the A-60 Soviet/Russian air borne laser system (which was previously a laser dazzler for satellites and optical airborne systems), or will it be fitted to the Kuznetsov as an upgrade?

I remember in the late 1980s there was a lot of talk and may I say outrage, that the Frunze... the new (at the time) Kirov class vessel was going to be fitted with a laser air defence system. They called it a blinding laser and implied it would be misused by the evil soviets against the pure innocent NATO heros in the air and at sea...

Turned out to be bollocks, though the do have some rather powerful and less than eye safe laser range finders in some of their optical systems fitted to some of their larger ships that the west has complained about...

Lost in (machine) translation. Aircraft carrier in this instance means "Transport Aircraft", actual aircraft-carriers are not in the strategic spectrum that Peresvet apparently is.

I just realised the purpose of this laser.

It is to blind the USA early warning satellites, and makes it impossible to establish the trajectory of ICBMs.


So, its intended purpose of it is to make impossible to calculate the trajectory for mid course interception.

Singular_Transform wrote:I just realised the purpose of this laser.

It is to blind the USA early warning satellites, and makes it impossible to establish the trajectory of ICBMs.


So, its intended purpose of it is to make impossible to calculate the trajectory for mid course interception.

Well that has been the going theory; although rather spy satellites than early warning. Else why equip the RVSN and missile regiments with these complexes? Just have them deployed independently to the optimal locations.

However the article makes references to blinding incoming missiles; so the purpose of the Peresvet at the moment appears to be more point-defense.

I would expect there are other systems to deal with radar guided weapons, so something that can deal with optical (TV and IR guided) types would be valuable... and lets face it... over time it will get smaller and lighter and more powerful and longer ranged etc etc... pretty soon it will be doing more than just dazzling...

flamming_python wrote:

Well that has been the going theory; although rather spy satellites than early warning. Else why equip the RVSN and missile regiments with these complexes? Just have them deployed independently to the optimal locations.

However the article makes references to blinding incoming missiles; so the purpose of the Peresvet at the moment appears to be more point-defense.

Doesn't make sense to use them against spy satellites.

And I doubt if it can damage the satellites, the most that the military can hope is to blind them temporarily .

By my best knowledge the purpose of it is classified.

But it is not a tactical defence weapon, there is no radar, and the Russian military has specific weapons for that purpose.

And it was first mentioned in context with other hard to intercept weapons, and they are in combat duty with ICBMs.


So, it has job to do in regards with defeating the USA ABM systems.

The ICBM can reach an altitude of 2000km , means the 4.5km/sec interceptor needs 4-8 minutes to reach the ICBM.
The AN/SPY-1 is not usable to establish the interceptor trajectory.


So, if in the minute of launch a laser blind the early warning satellites then they can't establish the trajectory for the ABMs.

The lasers has to work only during the burnout, and they need as many as the numbers of early warning satellites.

And due to this the light emitted by the laser is classified, because by knowing the wavelength it is possible to make filter against it.
It needs the data from the early warning satellites.

If they are used as ASAT systems then it makes sense since a laser can reach an enemy satellite essentially instantaneously as compared to any
ASAT missile. The other aspect is the number of enemy satellites that the laser can engage. I suppose that it is more than one, that is, there
are more than one enemy satellites in the field of view.

I think we are seeing Russia develop a real SDI as opposed to the US fake.

kvs wrote:If they are used as ASAT systems then it makes sense since a laser can reach an enemy satellite essentially instantaneously as compared to any
ASAT missile. The other aspect is the number of enemy satellites that the laser can engage. I suppose that it is more than one, that is, there
are more than one enemy satellites in the field of view.

I think we are seeing Russia develop a real SDI as opposed to the US fake.

I think it is more of an Election Warfare system, than an ASAT.

The target is to deny the enemy part of the electronics spectrum in a given area, not to destroy the satellite.

Doesn't make sense to use them against spy satellites.

And I doubt if it can damage the satellites, the most that the military can hope is to blind them temporarily

Actually I would say the opposite... the entire purpose of a spy satellite... an optical one... is to keep visual tabs on what is happening... and if you can shine a laser on that so it can't see anything then that is effectively the same as shooting it down or disabling it... but much easier and more achievable and using less power.

During times of high tension Russia will of course start to disperse its nuclear deterrent... meaning Yars and any topols they have will be sent out on the road along with lots of similar trucks as decoys... but a good optical view of Russia and some AI software means you could track the actual nuclear armed vehicles and that information could be used for local special forces to set up ambushes or otherwise interfere... being able to blind US optical satellites while they are over Russian territory denies them the ability to direct ground based teams to do any sabotage... they wont know which roads the missiles will be on or when they will be approaching like they would with full optical access to Russian territory.

Equally there will be drone and aircraft based recon platforms with optical systems that could also be targeted in the same way... denying the enemy information is valuable.

It makes their job harder and it makes their forces less effective because they know less about how you are set up and what you are doing.

Obviously destroying such optics would be even better.... perhaps a possibility in a few years time with a few upgrades and improvements to the systems and power supplies.

The lasers has to work only during the burnout, and they need as many as the numbers of early warning satellites.

And due to this the light emitted by the laser is classified, because by knowing the wavelength it is possible to make filter against it.
It needs the data from the early warning satellites.

Early warning satellites and recon satellites can be the same thing... and a filter in front of the optical system is a waste of time and energy... a laser powerful enough to destroy optical components will be powerful enough to burn a filter which might form a better light blocking mechanism on its own.

The target is to deny the enemy part of the electronics spectrum in a given area, not to destroy the satellite.

I am sure over time its capabilities will develop... to start with it might just be a dazzler, but later a destroyer of optical detectors, and then perhaps destroyer of satellites... of course for most satellites destroying them is redundant and a waste of energy... targeting their power supply... ie lasing their solar panels might be enough most of the time... or targeting an onboard battery system perhaps...

The laser beam has quite big divergence, and open up quickly.

Even a big, military grade laser should have several meter wide beam at 1000km height.

Means it need MW magnitude laser to generate sun level of intensity, and that is enough only to blind.

The cheapest lasers are the CO2 ones, and those emitting radiation in far infrared, and that is perfect to blind the far infrared early warning sensors.

By changing the isotope composition it is possible to shift the frequency as well, making it harder to create filters.

The laser beam has quite big divergence, and open up quickly.

Of course... often 1mm per metre distance travelled so if the recon sat is in orbit at 300km or more that means the beam is 1m across per kilometre traveled so 300m plus, but of course if the distance to the satellite is known... and it should be very precisely known there is the potential to focus the beam on the target and get it much much smaller than 300m.

There used to be problems photographing stars from telescopes on the ground because the atmosphere distorts and shifts and effects the light coming from space... they developed software and hardware to counter that and clean up the images... the same technology could be used to improve the performance of the beam too.

Even a big, military grade laser should have several meter wide beam at 1000km height.

Probably 500m or more without focusing...

Means it need MW magnitude laser to generate sun level of intensity, and that is enough only to blind.

I remember reading an argument by a scientist from the early 20th century where he stated that energy weapons wont work because for them to be powerful enough to kill another person they would kill the operator first because they are much closer to the deadly material.

Obviously now we can say with certainty that you can kill with light, but you need to concentrate that light and direct it in enormous volumes at a point on the target and the job is done... right now the problems are concentration on target that is a long way away... who knows what clever solutions they have come up with... maybe it uses a concentrated beam of energy that obliterates the electronics in the satellite and leaves the optics working fine but takes out its ability to transmit the information back to earth... maybe it effects the batteries on the satellite to make them explode... without power it wont be very useful in its primary role...

The cheapest lasers are the CO2 ones, and those emitting radiation in far infrared, and that is perfect to blind the far infrared early warning sensors.

I don't think cost is an issue... and if it was then doing nothing is cheapest of all...

They will know the sort of satellites and sensors they need to deal with which will mean certain spectrums will need to be covered...

By changing the isotope composition it is possible to shift the frequency as well, making it harder to create filters.

They might be able to use a broad band beam working in multiple frequencies at once, hell, they might even be using something totally unexpected... a gamma ray "laser" perhaps that can be used on manned recon and bomber and fighter aircraft too.

They can always put up a mirror and variable magnifying glass up in space

They can they focus the sun's energy on any threat

No need for a power source other than that of the sun's