WEAPONS OF THE WORLD: American Laser Weapon Research Accelerates -- Buck Rogers by 2012!

StategyPage.com ^ | 6/11/04 | Doug Mohney

[gathersnomoss]

"June 11, 2004: The United States military has already created combat laser weapons that work, and is now hustling to get some of these designs ready for troop use."

Over John Efin Kerry's dead body!! If kerry wins in November you can bet the house that this program dies a swift death.

Wake Up America!

[cripplecreek]

Unless he rediscovers right wing extremism as the true source of terrorism. (sarcasm I think, it worked for bill)

[Republicus2001]

re: headline - I think Scosia's doing just fine...

[jordan8]

When this laser tech becomes common, it will lessen the advantage of airpower. If you can see an aircraft or missle you can shoot it down. Eventually you may not even have to see it just have the laser or other beam weapon to scan sections of the sky, like a TV cathode ray.

[Brilliant]

This is the missile defense. The idea of sending rockets up to knock the missiles down is a bust. You should be able to take out hundreds of missiles in a few seconds with lasers, though.

[G L Tirebiter]

Such a laser weapon would use whatever supply of electricity it could find in the combat zone.

Hope there's a development budget for really long extension cords.

[babyface00]

This is only tangentially related, but it seems likely that someday these weapons will be scaled down to handheld size.

I wonder if its worth laying the groundwork now so that these weapons are considered in the same way that handguns are (i.e. that citizens have a right to bear them for defense) and not cateogorized as "military-type weapons" subject to prohibitions.

[joesnuffy]

Could you spray very fine particulate compounds in the atmosphere that might defeat-
deflect laser?

[Paul Ross]

Bump!

[MistrX]

No more ballistics testing.

[Centurion2000]

I wonder if its worth laying the groundwork now so that these weapons are considered in the same way that handguns are (i.e. that citizens have a right to bear them for defense) and not cateogorized as "military-type weapons" subject to prohibitions.

Lasers right now are completely unregulated at the federal level as far as firearms. Same as Texas too.

And you can build a handheld blinding laser will little problem.

[steve86]

Could you spray very fine particulate compounds in the atmosphere that might defeat-deflect laser?

Yes, optical obscurants will have some application. But their are many situations where they are not practical. And if the laser is targeted by radar, or some other method, the laser would be able to burn-through in some cases.

[Tallguy]

When laser weapons become common, you may also see a small counter-trend away from precision strikes back toward barrage strikes. ie. If I can pickoff your Tomahawk cruise missile with a burst of laser fire, you are more likely to need more than 1 to do the job, just to make sure that the target gets serviced.

[Tallguy]

This is only tangentially related, but it seems likely that someday these weapons will be scaled down to handheld size.

I'm not aware of a hand-held power source with enough energy density to make that happen. I think we're talking about vehicle mounted systems or static systems with a nearby generator.

[babyface00]

And you can build a handheld blinding laser will little problem

I have a little keychain laser pointer, but unless the mugger will hold still while I slowly burn out his retinas, i don't think it will be much of a deterrent.

Is it possible to build a truly portable laser suitable for self-defense with current technology?

[babyface00]

I thought that was the case, but technology in general tends towards miniaturization, so it seems likely in the coming decades that some sort of human-portable laser weapon will be available.

Since the purpose of the second amendment is to ensure citizens can defend themselves against the government, it seems prudent that we make certain that the government isn't the only entity with these weapons (in addition to criminals, who will surely obtain them if they are of any use).

It might be easier to lay the legislative groundwork now, before the weapons can be demonized by the Left.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Centurion2000]

Is it possible to build a truly portable laser suitable for self-defense with current technology?

Put together a 10kw CO2 or N2 Gas laser, use large (shotgun shell sized) capacitors for the energy source and a diffusing lens for expanded coverage.

It can be done I once did a science project on the feasability of hand held lasers. They won't kill, but they certainly can blind.

[Travis McGee]

The next generation of Navy warships will be "all electric." The propulsion generators will be able to switch full power at will to exotic electric based weapons systems.