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Laser gun fired from US navy ship
BBC News ^ | 4/11/11 | BBC News

Posted on 04/11/2011 9:34:36 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

The US Navy has fired a laser gun from one of its ships for the first time.

Researchers used the high-energy laser (HEL) to disable a boat by setting fire to its engines off the coast of California.

Similar systems had previously been tested on land, however moist sea air presented an extra challenge as it reduces a beam's power.

The navy said that ship-borne lasers could eventually be used to protect vessels from small attack boats.

The US military has been experimenting with laser weapons since the 1970s.

Early systems used large, chemical-based lasers which tended to produce dangerous waste gases.

More recently, scientists have developed solid state lasers that combine large numbers of compact beam generators, similar to LEDs.

HELs fire

Laser on board US navy ship The US Navy system uses a Joint High Power Solid State Laser mounted on deck

Until now, much of the development of HELs has focused on shooting down missiles or hitting land-based targets.

The latest round of tests showed its wider possibilities, according to Peter Morrison from the Office of Naval Research.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: lasergun; usnavy
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1 posted on 04/11/2011 9:34:39 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
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The US Navy system uses a Joint High Power Solid State Laser mounted on deck

2 posted on 04/11/2011 9:36:00 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge

When this weapon gets deployed someone at FR will have to modify the “They blowed up real good” picture to read “They fried up real good”.


3 posted on 04/11/2011 9:37:49 AM PDT by Parmenio
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To: Parmenio

“laser gun” has so much of a “blowed up real good” feel to it anyway.

It’s a laser. A “laser gun” is just silly.


4 posted on 04/11/2011 9:39:17 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter knows whom he's working for)
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To: NormsRevenge

Watch for these on trucks at the next Tea Party rally.


5 posted on 04/11/2011 9:39:32 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet ('As a kid, I got three meals a day: Oatmeal, miss-a-meal, and no meal.' Mr. T)
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To: NormsRevenge
"I'm comin' and I'm bring HEL with me!"


6 posted on 04/11/2011 9:39:57 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: MrB

Ha, ha. True. I’m in the biz and people ask me all the time if I “work on laser beams.” Close enough, I guess.


7 posted on 04/11/2011 9:46:22 AM PDT by subterfuge (BUILD MORE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS NOW!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge; JoeProBono; Daffynition; martin_fierro; GQuagmire
"I want to see them deploy sharks with frickin' lasers mounted their frickin' heads!"

Dr. Evil Pictures, Images and Photos

8 posted on 04/11/2011 9:47:23 AM PDT by JRios1968 (Of course Laz would hit it!)
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To: NormsRevenge

you could prolly put an eye out with that thing


9 posted on 04/11/2011 9:48:19 AM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom!!! <sarc>)
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To: subterfuge

LASER is an acronym for Light-Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation, as I recall. Wouldn’t the addition of a descriptive noun be appropriate, or not? LASER beam or LASER weapon?


10 posted on 04/11/2011 9:50:14 AM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Seriously. If you are going to make a death ray, couldn't you make it look cooler.

Something like this would do nicely


11 posted on 04/11/2011 9:50:35 AM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Parmenio

Gives new (OK, old...but different) meaning to being “lit up!”


12 posted on 04/11/2011 9:54:04 AM PDT by Vermont Lt (How long before the Mall becomes Tahifir Sq?)
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To: MrB

They’ve been working on these things for decades. When I was in the Navy, many years ago, they said the idea was to make another ship so hot the crew would have to jump ship. That way the Navy could take over the ship. Pipe dream? I don’t know. We wouldn’t be allowed to use it anyway. Not with this admin.


13 posted on 04/11/2011 9:55:38 AM PDT by RC2
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To: USNBandit

I’ll wait for the submarine version that can fire while submerged.


14 posted on 04/11/2011 9:56:21 AM PDT by Retired COB (Still mad about Campaign Finance Reform)
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To: NormsRevenge

Damnit! And I thought we had a leak in the engine room! Wait til the US Navy gets my bill on this! And they’ll be paying for all those grunions I didn’t catch because my boat was on fire, too


15 posted on 04/11/2011 9:56:26 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Parmenio

Why aren’t they practicing on those Somali pirates?


16 posted on 04/11/2011 9:57:52 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: NormsRevenge

U.S. NAVY PHOTOS - This futuristic-looking piece of equipment is part of a system that successfully tracked, engaged and destroyed an unmanned aircraft in a test-firing simulating oceanic combat using Raytheon's Phalanx system


17 posted on 04/11/2011 10:02:19 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: NormsRevenge
"The navy said that ship-borne lasers could eventually be used to protect vessels from small attack boats."

What's wrong with 50 cal. machine guns and other sorts of deck guns? Lasers should be used against incoming missiles.

18 posted on 04/11/2011 10:09:50 AM PDT by StormEye
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To: NormsRevenge

can a mirror reverse a laser beam?


19 posted on 04/11/2011 10:09:57 AM PDT by esoxmagnum
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To: NormsRevenge
I think real life research is needed. How about hunting some Somali pirates? However, the Russians seemed to handle the pirates quite well using more conventional technology.
20 posted on 04/11/2011 10:11:27 AM PDT by The Great RJ (The Bill of Rights: Another bill members of Congress haven't read.)
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