Big stakes for lab to build battle laser

Oakland Tribune ^ | October 27, 2003 | Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER

[My2Cents]

I don't get it. They're suppose to build the laser first, and then this general will get the funding??...Also, I like the pun, "...will beat the bushes..."

[demlosers]

Sorta confusing. I don't care as long as we get a solid state laser that can fry bad guy @sses.

[jjm2111]

""Eighteen months is very aggressive, and I'm saying that very politely," said Yamamoto."

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

[My2Cents]

Yeah, the idea is cool. I want one of those....But in testing, make sure your phaser is set on "stun."

[Consort]

I hope they have a coherent plan.

[struwwelpeter]

Looked at in a different light, this is very interesting - and very out of character for DARPA.

Reminds me of the scene from The Core, when the scientist who invented the big drill was asked if he could build it in 3 months: "Yeah, if I had 100 billion dollars!"

To which the general replied: "Would you take a check?"

I wonder if - like in the movie (impending destruction of the Earth) - there is an urgent need for something fast.

[.cnI redruM]

These lasers will do nicely until they are subjected to varied atmospherics. What fires on a lab bench or through a vacuum will do very poorly in a desert or near an ocean. Anything that kicks up dirt or liquid aerosols, extincts light. Finding a wavelength that works will be highly difficult. Lasers are an easy weapon to spoof. We are still better off advancing our more powerful rocketry to the fire and forget stage.

[Flightdeck]

Man, that movie was so bad.

[struwwelpeter]

As in "George Clooney bad"? Or "James Brown bad"? ;-)

Just seemed interesting that a general would be asking for "a working prototype" with a short window.

[Blood of Tyrants]

the clock starts ticking for Yamamoto to triple his laser's power to 40 or more kilowatts

Phased plasma rifle in the 40 kilowatt range.

[Laserman]

As one who was at the conference last week, and who has spent much of my adult life on these technologies, I can tell you that we are more resource limited than technology limited for the near term tactical systems the General spoke of. Higher power systems for strategic applications still need research work, as do future generations of the battlefield systems, but we have already demonstrated the feasibility of systems (both ground mobile and airborne) that can bring revolutionary capabilities to the tactical war.

[SJSAMPLE]

The reason the airborne MIRACL laser works so well is that the beam is constantly moving through new, cooler air. The act of firing the laser disturbs (heats) the atmosphere it travels through.

The General also doesn't state the intended usage?
Anti-personel?
Anti-material?
Anti-Armor (no frigging way)?
or anti-sensor?

Different lasers for different usages. Having a starting point would be nice.

[muleskinner]

Arnold voice - "That's a good one."

[Laserman]

Actually the airborne system is a COIL laser not a MIRACL design. And yes thermal blooming is a problem under certain engagement geometries (more for ground based than for airborne), but most battlefield engagements are not "nose on" and thus have slew to mitigate the problem. Also, some laser wavelengths experience this problem to a much lesser degree than others. And with two or more systems, crossing fire can be employed.

[BMiles2112]

Three weeks earlier, the general donned green goggles in Yamamoto's lab and saw the world's most powerful solid-state laser drill through an inch of steel in two seconds.
Scary, that could burn through an Abram's armor in a mere 40 seconds, if it would only sit still...

[Nov3]

To disable a tank does not require drilling through the frontal armor.

[Dog Anchor]

I did not know that the Admiral of the Imperial Japanese navy was still around.

[.cnI redruM]

Anti-Personel would violate the Geneva COnvention. THat will be a moot point once several countries have tried and true Starship Troopers rifles, but is salient at present.

Anti-material is good if the stuff is flammable. Willie Pete is even better if the stuff is flamable.

Anti-Armor is possible. Not necessarily in the Star Wars sense, but more in the sense that it could overload sensitive portions of the vehicle with heat and cook off ammo or cause the engine or battery to fry and thereby generate a mob kill.

[theFIRMbss]

>As one who was at the conference last week

Will I be able --
soon -- to reach down to my belt,
draw, and zap bad guys?!
<><>