Posted on 01/14/2013 4:28:28 PM PST by MrBambaLaMamba
A German company used a futuristic laser weapon to cut through a half-inch thick steel girder from 2/3 of a mile away.
But don’t try running away just yet: Dusseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group also reported that its new 50kW high-energy weapon technology can successfully detect and engage targets.
The company announced its 2012 year-end operational testing at the Ochsenboden Proving Groud (EZO) in Switzerland, where it successfully overcame tough environmental conditions including snow, ice, rain and blinding sunlight to neutralize targets.
Since 2011, the company has increased the power of its lasers five-fold, producing twice the laser output within the same volume. The weapon was run against five different scenarios including air defense; countering rockets, artillery, and mortar (abbreviated C-RAM or counter-RAM); and asymmetric warfare operations.
And Rheinmetall showed that laser weapons could be placed at different locations and work together to create one superbeam against a target, a technology it calls Beam Superimposing Technology.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
2015: Frans Killiwatt becomes self-aware...
Ich bin ein Biglaser
LOLOLOL!!!
Now if only they could make individual cheese wrappers that don’t break apart I’ll be happy.
A few years too late to keep the Red Army out of Berlin...
Goldfinger
Uber lazer!
SHARKS!!! Need sharks!
Hey that’s right. Goldfinger had one and he used it to break into Fort Knox. That was way back in the 60s.
Isn’t that the same company who makes or maybe licenses the main gun on the Abrams tank.
Wundebar ! Ausgezeichnet !
Gesundheit.
I always had a hunch the Germans would be the ones to figure out the Laser Cannon and deploy it. The Germans are a very clever people—just hope they never point that thing at Americans.
Great, I’ll take two phased plasma “assault” rifles. These would be fully automatic, right? Much simpler aiming and one shot effectiveness. Cut right.
Eventually the Chinese will find a weapon like that to be VERY USEFUL against enemy armies.
I am sure I am not the only one who can’t believe what bad shots storm trooper are with their laser guns. Also how ineffective their armor is. I mean it does no good at all.
I wonder what it would take to develop a coating to bounce the beam.
I think the movie meant 40kw. These are already 30KW and multiple beams can be combined like on the Death Star.
It would take very little effort if you are talking about a missile. Aluminum is one of cheapest metals, and it provides high reflectivity through all the typical light frequencies, including IR.
If the missile is absorbing 10% of the incoming power and reflecting 90% away then the 50 kW becomes 5 kW. If you also spin the missile it spreads the spot over the missile's body (in a band.) Combine this with instability of the beam that in part instrument-dependent (accuracy of aiming) and in part environment-specific (air distorts light) and you end up with needing 10x more power to be effective. Do not forget about the range either; if there is a nuke coming, shooting its carrier missile in terminal phase and only a mile away is pointless.
But ultimately this is the solution, as lasers become bigger and badder. Laser guns can be already mounted in stationary installations or where there is enough power for them. They have infinite ammo, and their rate of fire is only limited by the power supplies and by cooling - which is a solvable technical problem. IR laser beams are also invisible to the naked eye, and goggles are just another thing that may fail (and will fail after seeing a small reflection of the beam.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
