Tech In Russian Lider-Class Destroyers Can 'Blind' Enemy Night Vision, Laser Systems

Russia will equip its new project 23560 Lider (Leader) class nuclear-powered destroyers with advanced Grach visual optical interference stations that could "blind" enemy troops and optoelectronic devices, such as night vision equipment, binocular glasses and laser ranging devices with bright flares of light.

The system was developed by the Integral plant which was part of the United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation, the Izvestia newspaper was quoted by Sputnik News Tuesday.

Lider-class destroyer's nuclear propulsion would provide enough energy to equip the ships with as much Grach stations as needed. Lider-class destroyers are planned to have a displacement of 17,500 tonnes, length of 200 meters (over 650 feet) and a width of 20 meters.

The preliminary project was approved in 2013 and work on technical plans is expected to start by 2017. The universal destroyer is set to replace three classes of ships, including project 1155 anti-submarine destroyers.