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Big stakes for lab to build battle laser
Oakland Tribune ^
| October 27, 2003
| Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER
Posted on 10/27/2003 12:45:44 PM PST by demlosers
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1
posted on
10/27/2003 12:45:44 PM PST
by
demlosers
To: demlosers
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..."
2
posted on
10/27/2003 12:48:34 PM PST
by
My2Cents
(Well...there you go again.)
To: My2Cents
Sorta confusing. I don't care as long as we get a solid state laser that can fry bad guy @sses.
3
posted on
10/27/2003 12:52:53 PM PST
by
demlosers
To: demlosers
""Eighteen months is very aggressive, and I'm saying that very politely," said Yamamoto."I find your lack of faith disturbing.
4
posted on
10/27/2003 12:59:53 PM PST
by
jjm2111
To: demlosers
Yeah, the idea is cool. I want one of those....But in testing, make sure your phaser is set on "stun."
5
posted on
10/27/2003 1:00:34 PM PST
by
My2Cents
(Well...there you go again.)
To: demlosers
I hope they have a coherent plan.
6
posted on
10/27/2003 1:05:04 PM PST
by
Consort
To: demlosers; Bobby777
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.
To: demlosers
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.
8
posted on
10/27/2003 1:14:09 PM PST
by
.cnI redruM
(I ain't sayin' nothin', but that ain't right! - Stewart Scott, ESPN.)
To: struwwelpeter
Man, that movie was so bad.
To: Flightdeck
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.
To: demlosers
the clock starts ticking for Yamamoto to triple his laser's power to 40 or more kilowatts![](http://www.cinemovies.fr/images/data/films/Pfilm24841063435.jpg)
Phased plasma rifle in the 40 kilowatt range.
11
posted on
10/27/2003 1:29:31 PM PST
by
Blood of Tyrants
(Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
To: .cnI redruM
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.
12
posted on
10/27/2003 1:29:31 PM PST
by
Laserman
To: .cnI redruM
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.
13
posted on
10/27/2003 1:30:20 PM PST
by
SJSAMPLE
To: Blood of Tyrants
Arnold voice - "That's a good one."
To: SJSAMPLE
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.
15
posted on
10/27/2003 1:36:59 PM PST
by
Laserman
To: demlosers
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...
To: BMiles2112
To disable a tank does not require drilling through the frontal armor.
17
posted on
10/27/2003 1:44:44 PM PST
by
Nov3
(one day at a time since 10/12/1984)
To: Blood of Tyrants
I did not know that the Admiral of the Imperial Japanese navy was still around.
To: SJSAMPLE
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.
19
posted on
10/27/2003 1:48:30 PM PST
by
.cnI redruM
(I ain't sayin' nothin', but that ain't right! - Stewart Scott, ESPN.)
To: Laserman
>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?!
<><>
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