Laser cannon set to blind pirates

BBC ^ | January 10, 2011 | Unknown

[decimon]

Sailors may soon have a weapon in their battle against sea-borne raiders: an anti-pirate laser.

BAE Systems has demonstrated its new laser system, which can temporarily blind would-be attackers.

The system would prevent pirates from being able to aim their weapons at targets, BAE claims.

But further safety testing is needed before such a system could be commercially deployed.

BAE said it has developed a low-cost laser distraction system that can travel through the sea air while being housed onboard a moving ship.

At distances of more than of between 1.2km (0.75 miles) and 1.5km (0.85 miles), the laser beam acts as a warning signal, letting the pirates know they've been spotted, said Brian Hore of BAE.

"Today's pirates tend to be opportunistic. If they know they've been spotted, they're likely to look for an alternative target," he told BBC News.

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Green lasers - which have been shown to interfere with eyesight - have been used by the US military in Iraq and to temporarily blind targets.

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[Fred Hayek]

Just wait until a pirate hires a personal injury lawyer.
As for “laser cannon”, another journalist knows not what he talks about.
The spotting laser should be followed by a well placed round. Make the pirate into shark food. The sea equivalent of shoot, shovel, shut up.

[Jolla]

Why not use a water cannon to fill up their boat with water?

[Parmy]

Why not just kill them.

[Joe 6-pack]

Better yet would be a laser beam that's ridden by a 155mm Copperhead round.

[dfwgator]

Scott: Why don’t you just kill him?
Dr. Evil: No, Scott, I have a better idea. I’m going to place him in an easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death.
Scott: Why don’t you shoot him now? I mean, come on, I’ll go get a gun. We’ll shoot ‘im together. It’ll be fun. BANG! Dead. Done.
Dr. Evil: One more peep out of you and you are grounded, mister! And I am not joking!

[mountainlion]

The first contact with Muslims the US had was the Barbary Pirates after the American Revolution. We haven't learned much have we?

[aruanan]

Just wait until a pirate hires a personal injury lawyer.

Yep, a dead pirate in the bellies of several sharks won't be hiring any lawyers. Those who run the ships they're attacking need to make the cost of being a pirate so high that all but the most foolhardy, and soon to die, will find something else to do.

[Yardstick]

[de.rm]

Water cannons under auto/remote control override by motion sensor video scanners to alert crew.

That would be too cheap & effective (too much fun as well, we all love waterguns).

[IM2MAD]

I have a canon but it’s an ink jet.

[Jolla]

No problem, we all know the pen is mightier than the sword.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Why not just get a 20-mm cannon and blast them all to hell?

They have those mounted on helicopters. The Coast Guard uses them as well as the Navy.

However, the only thing they are allowed to target is the engines of the target craft.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Remeinds me of the "courtesy visit" of the Schleswig-Holstein to Danzig in August 1939.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

how about instead of a laser canon, we use a canon???

[elcid1970]

What about an `autodarkening’ welder’s helmet lens? You see daylight through it until you strike an arc when it darkens to factor 15 in 1/10,000 sec. Stop a laser?

Fully armed seagoing mercs with attitude toward pirates are far more effective and permanent in effect, IMO.

[West Texas Chuck]

Just make sure they are Israeli spy sharks. With friggin’ laser beams on their heads.

Bwahahahahaha, ARRRRRRR!

[RichInOC]

[RichInOC]

[WOBBLY BOB]

unsuccesful LASIK patient?

[Daffynition]

My favorite blinders...