Image by Northrup Grumman, from military.com, scaled and cropped by Dean Weingarten Posted on 09/26/2020 4:47:45 AM PDT by marktwain
Image by Northrup Grumman, from military.com, scaled and cropped by Dean Weingarten
In my 30+ year career in Army Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation, (RDT&E), there was some exposure and support of laser weapons. A principle concern with lasers is how the interact with the atmosphere. That is where my old outfit came in.
Lasers have been used in weapons systems since shortly after their development, for ranging and sensing, and information technology.
I am writing about weapons that burn, shoot down, and blow things up.
My team supported a laser weapons test about 1975 as I recall. This correspondent was not an eye witness. Reliable scuttlebutt had told of a helicopter that was shot down with a laser, in a carefully controlled, proof of concept test.
We have been developing laser weapons for over 45 years. In the late 1980s with President Reagan's leadership, we were working on lasers to shoot down incoming InterContinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). My colleagues at White Sands Missile Range had a much greater direct involvement. I was peripherally involved. They did splendid work. They solved problems in very clever ways.
By 2010, the AirBorne Laser (ABL) system had been developed, tested, and was ready to be funded and fielded. It was shot down by the Obama administration, with lack of funds, in 2011. The ability to shoot down incoming ICBMs from tens or hundreds of miles away, at the edge of space, was impressive.
The requirement of 10 to 20 modified Boeing 747s, at $1.5bn apiece, and $100m investment a year had made the maintenance of the ABL YAL 1A not operationally viable, forcing the US Air Force to stop raising funds for the laser. The US Government had spent approximately $5.2bn on the ABL YAL 1A project by.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
The U.S. military technology in lasers is on the cusp of being significantly more useful in shooting down drones, mortar shells, and artillery shells. It is on the edge of providing a defense against hypersonic weapons.
So, if we ever do make a laser that can shoot down ICBM’s, doesn’t that make World War III much more likely? Mutual Assured Destruction has prevented world war for over 70 years. It would be a shame if we deployed battlefield lasers that worked great in an offensive roll, only to result in world wars that kill hundreds of millions of people.
I mean, everything we get, the spies for Russia and China steal in short order.
Can I get one for my Chevy?
We did make one. It was tested and it worked.
We have not had a nuclear WWIII, so I do not think it makes it more likely.
Mutually Assured Destruction only works if your opponent cares about, and does not want, destruction. It requires a certain commonality of assumptions.
Laser weapons will continue to be perfected and America will be the leader. Our adversaries FEAR American ingenuity and ability to think outside of the box.
There, fixed it for ya.. Heehee! d;^)
MAD was a fool’s concept based on similar beliefs. Try that on moslem extremists, it won’t work! The only way to go to war is to go to WIN.
I actually do not own a Chevy but the joke does not work with “Mitsubishi.”
Sharks. Heads.
I will try to do something with pet project K5 this weekend.
Ah the Urban Assault Vehicle Dream Car!
That might get 5 mpg with all that weight.
We did make one. It was tested and it worked.
A. Which one was that? Keep your answer unclassified.
B. I am much more worried about the nuke that gets delivered by a FedEx or UPS look-alike truck than one that comes on a missile.
Yup. Sounds about right.
Dunno if there even are any rivalries amongst the asian brands.. d;^)
“ Mutually Assured Destruction only works if your opponent cares about, and does not want, destruction. It requires a certain commonality of assumptions.“
Which brings us to the problem with Iran.
I had that! Totally forgot about it.
Nudets leave a signature. It’s source will be eradicated.
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