Posted on 03/12/2024 9:47:54 AM PDT by algore
A deadly laser weapon which can blow up drones and hypersonic nuclear missiles at the speed of light has been revealed to the public in newly declassified footage.
The video shows Britain achieving its first high-power firing of the Dragonfire laser weapon, as it successfully destroyed a drone in the sky using the system's death ray.
In these secret trials at the Military of Defence's Hebrides Range, the weapon proved so accurate it could hit a £1 coin half a mile away, with each 'shot' said to cost around £10.
Its full range remains classified, but the invisible 50kW beam can cut through targets using it 'pin-point accuracy' and does not require any ammunition.
The weapons platform, which military chiefs say will revolutionise the battlefield of the future, could one day be used to annihilate fighter jets, warships and hypersonic missiles.
'The laser-directed energy weapon engages targets at the speed of light, using an intense beam of energy to cut through objects, leading to structural failure.'
Built by scientists in the UK, the weapon system is a £100million collaboration between the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and industry partners such as Leonardo and Qinetiq.
The tech could one day be used to sink boats and damage warships, bring down military warplanes and even destroy deadly Russian hypersonic missiles, which are so fast they could travel from Moscow to London in nine minutes.
Although the tests have been hailed as a success, it is not yet known when DragonFire could enter service.
Because of the energy needed to power it, it is expected to be fitted to warships of the Royal Navy, or to be used as permanent air defence platforms on land.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I want one.......................
“DragonFire” — now we’re talking.
That’s so much better than “Iron Dome.” Who wants a huge, heavy dome over them (which could fall and squash you like a bug) when you can have fire-breathing dragons covering you?
If you are a fan of the HBO series, Game of Thrones, you’ll get the reference.
DRACARYS
Just fly the drones on cloudy day’s?
“...does not require any ammunition.”
“Because of the energy needed to power it, it is expected to be fitted to warships of the Royal Navy, or to be used as permanent air defence platforms on land.”
no ammunition required beyond a very big generator.
Some chemical lasers have an exhaust so corrosive it must be captured after/during firings. The question remains, what do you do with the container of corrosive exhaust?
soon ... it will be almost impossible to protect a president. Imagine one of these being use from orbit
(using the system’s death ray.)
Charged particles Mr. Muntz?
Da Death Beam.
Well, that’s going to give the folks at Raytheon Missile Systems some concern. And that’s because they’re charging a bit more than £10 a shot for this baby.
The track and burn time on the drone is not comparable to that necessary to take down a hypersonic missile.
Shoot it at the enemy!
Intemperate Sea Bass will have to do for now.
Sadly, powered by the ind turbines and solar panels.
Fires once every year, if it’s not too cold outside…
You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads! Now evidently my cycloptic colleague informs me that that cannot be done. Ah, would you remind me what I pay you people for, honestly? Throw me a bone here! What do we have?
A bit of hyperbole there... The US Navy deployed a 30kW laser a decade ago, and currently has a 60kW laser installed on at least 1 ship, with the ability to scale up to 150kW. But none of these give the capability to reliably kill a supersonic, let alone hypersonic missile. The next generation will be in the 300 kW+ range, but we are years, maybe decades away from solving some of the problems involved in advanced applications like hypersonics.
Bkmk
Hat tip to Britain
Can I assume you have some relationship to Dugway Proving Ground?
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