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Weaponized lasers move from sci-fi to reality
The military just took one huge step toward making a laser weapon a functional reality. Northrop Grumman just announced a successful test of a 100-kilowatt laser, considered battlefield strength.
This solid-state laser is not as powerful as a chemical laser, but it can be powered by a jet or tank engine, and is much smaller. Unlike the lasers we're used to, this one will have a beam that's invisible. Bummer.
Unfortunately, it's still a few years and $100 million away from being used in the field. The problem is reducing the size, weight and cost of the laser guns. Dr. Brian Strickland, manager of the Army's Joint High Power Solid State Laser program said, "The next step would be to take the laser from the laboratory to the field and begin shooting down missiles with it." He also said that they want to get the cost down. "We want to have a laser that costs $15 to $20 million." Don't we all?
Hit the jump to see a video from KTLA with mock-ups of the laser in action.
By TH4T6UY at 8:22 PM ON 03/20/09
That's freaking awesome.
By Traveler at 11:18 PM ON 03/20/09
One more killing toy for the American Empire.
By TH4T6UY at 12:26 AM ON 03/21/09
Yep, by blowing up incoming missiles we will be utilizing this thing to kill all those who wish to stop our imperialist advance! Muahahaha. Seriously, WTF? It's a defensive weapon meant to STOP the killing.
By mato92 at 8:53 AM ON 03/21/09
To TH4T6UY: Yes, and it can be also used to blow up airplanes with people. And if they put this laser on a space satellite, America will be able to destroy any vehicle on the ground under the satellite.
By crickets at 1:13 PM ON 03/21/09
To MATO92
a laser is hardly needed to blow up 'airplanes with people'. any vehicle traveling at passenger-friendly speeds would be an easy target for a smart missile.
POSSIBLY it could be deployed against super-sonic craft, but the whole point is that a laser shines when targeting small, VERY fast targets. ie: missiles.
as for lasers in space, I love that you're thinking outside the box but thats a lot of money to spend on something that can be accomplished with a simple missile strike.
By TH4T6UY at 4:35 PM ON 03/21/09
@ MATO92
You remember this thing that failed pretty bad, I think it was called the "Star Wars Program" by Reagan. Honestly, if we wanted to take a plane out of the sky, a surface to air missile would be much more cost effective. And I know, being in a military family myself, that Americans would go ape-shit should we start attacking people at random with teh laZer b3ams!
By IsoTek at 2:41 AM ON 03/22/09
@TRAVELLER..Yeah, its tough doing the job the UN can't, I mean won't.
@MATO92..Lots of things can be used to blow up airplane with passengers what is your point? Sounds like you think we Americans are going to go around blowing up a bunch of passenger jets.
@crickets...MATO92 has been watching that episode of X-Files where the computer sends particle beams down from a SDI satellite to kill Scully's laptop.
@TH4T6UY..Star Wars didn't fail as much as it went bankrupt. There is tech that was created from Star Wars that is in use today. Even more conceptualized tech that has yet to be fully built and tested but still very viable according to technologists.
By Guess Who at 10:40 AM ON 03/25/09
Ray guns don't vaporize Zorbians, Zorbians vaporize Zorbians. - Far Side Comic
Really, only a fool would pass up weapons development, because if you do, an evil group will surpass you in power. Then what will stop them from using their new-found power against you? Their morals?
By notIMPRESsed at 12:47 PM ON 04/10/09
@everyone
i live in the near future, and i have only one thing to say about it... its alot like the end of all those marvin the martian cartoons. its like me and one other guy, and the earth has been blown to bits, and im hanging from the root of what is left of our planet which is 20 ft. by 15 ft.
By coer at 4:13 PM ON 04/12/09
Russia already has plasma shielding technology which uses atmospheric plasma to deflect or even absorb the laser energy appropriately for utilization.
By Justin at 7:40 AM ON 06/18/09
@mato92
Satellite laser wont do anything, it could if we had a few fusion generators installed into a satellite, with said laser, but it wont even touch the ground, the earths atmosphere protects the planet from far worse dangers.. most of which a laser would put out, so its not gettin anywhere..
By Babylonandon at 1:43 PM ON 06/18/09
Look here campers. This thing isn't going to have an effective range of more than a few miles (less than 20). Its going to be a replacement for the old CIWS, anti-aircraft gunfire, Sea Sparrow, and RAM close in weapons that are currently in use. Not that they aren't effective to some degree but they are outdated against newer missiles AND they have to be reloaded which means you have to have magazines full of small missiles and bullets/shells. This adds weight and mass which the ship has to carry, takes up space that could be filled with more offensive weapons or defensive sensor systems and increases the size and cost of the boat needed to do a particular task. Not only that, if you are in a situation where there is a lot of ordinance flying at you, running of ammunition on the weapon is a bad thing. The older weapons themselves only have a certain number of shots actually in them. I would imagine that the recharge time of these lasers is far shorter than the time it takes to reload the older weapons from magazines in elsewhere the ship. Trust me on this. I was a technician on CIWS and operated other anti-air warfare weapons as a part of my 10 years in the Navy. Fast reloads under fire are the hardest thing - well...next to trying to save the ship after not being successful in defending it!! Having something that could engage dozens or even hundreds of targets without having to reload would be awesome.
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Babylonandon:
Look here campers. This thing isn't going to have an effective range of more than a few miles (less than 20). Its g...More »