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To: Arthalion

Who in the Army has a laser energy weapon capable of bringing down an aircraft in flight. I hadn't heard that there was anything other than in the testing phase.

As for the capability, they said the same thing about the Sgt York as I recall.

Assuming the scenario of other nations gaining this technology is true(and there's certainly n o reason not to think so) then we will be in big trouble: I don't think a C-5 ot C-17 would fall into the "very small and ultra stealthy ROV" category.

What that means is we either get out of the force projection business entirely or find ways to protect our airlift and sealift capability (because they've been cutting into those programs to pay for lasers and stealth fighters and computer systems and operations that Congress won't appropriate for like Bosnia and Somalia).

Here is something I learned through experience in this field: You can gab about capabilities all you want (there's a whole boatload of people who do that, us enlisted folks call them officers) but unless you plan for your limitations you are going to get your butt handed to you most ricky tick. Counting solely on technology will get you killed.


67 posted on 03/24/2005 3:40:32 PM PST by kas2591 (Life's harder when you're stupid.)
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To: kas2591
Who in the Army has a laser energy weapon capable of bringing down an aircraft in flight. I hadn't heard that there was anything other than in the testing phase.

The Army has two tactical laser systems in a functional state that I know of right now. The Grumman THEL system has already been tested to shoot down incoming mortars and cruise missiles, and another larger system (can't remember the name ATM) recently brought down a complete missile. These systems work by superheating the rockets and mortars until a fuel or warhead breach occurs, and there's no reason to believe that such a tactic won't work on a fighter jet as well (it would be like having a hole blowtorched through your fuel tank in the middle of a flight).

The systems haven't been deployed yet, but they have been tested, verified to work, and found to be highly effective.

As for force projection, we'll just find other ways to do it, I'm sure.
88 posted on 03/25/2005 3:00:54 PM PST by Arthalion
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