Posted on 04/08/2011 3:01:49 PM PDT by jazusamo
A futuristic laser mounted on a speeding cruiser successfully blasted a bobbing, weaving boat from the waters of the Pacific Ocean -- the first test at sea of such a gun and a fresh milestone in the Navy's quest to reoutfit the fleet with a host of laser weapons, the Navy announced Friday.
"We were able to have a destructive effect on a high-speed cruising target," chief of Naval research Rear Adm. Nevin Carr told FoxNews.com.
The test occurred Wednesday near San Nicholas Island, off the coast of Central California in the Pacific Ocean test range, from a laser gun mounted onto the deck of the Navy’s self-defense test ship, former USS Paul Foster.
In a video of the event, the small boat can be seen catching fire and ultimately bursting into flames, a conflagration caused by the navy's distant gun. Some details of the event were classified, including the exact range of the shot, but Carr could provide some information: "We're talking miles, not yards," Carr said.
The Navy, Army and other armed forces have been working to incorporate so called "directed energy" laser weapons in a range of new guns, from tank-mounted blasters to guns on planes or unmanned balloons. But this marks the first test of a laser weapon at sea -- and proof that laser rifles are no mere Buck Rogers daydream.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Congratulations to the muslim world for their new gift from the Caliph in Chief and the American taxpayer!
Maybe they could get some practice on pirate vessels off Somalia.
Photon Amplification By Stimulated Emission of Radiation :-)
I can think of a certain Chinese sunburn antiship missile that just lost its “raison d’etre”....comments?
Yea....no kidding......Awesome!
“Maybe they could get some practice on pirate vessels off Somalia.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsSt3vPKgM
Amen! It's a target rich environment over there.
You mount these on Air craft carriers and the Chinese will go Ape-sh—! Their sun burn missiles will be “toast” as it were
Or have them attached to frickin' shark heads.
Great for takin’ out those stoopid Iranian “speed” boats!
It sounds like if it’s above the horizon it’s zaptastic.
I think the first carrier this is mounted on should be the Enterprise.
Wonder how it would work on some Somali pirates...
Looking forward to the megawatt-range versions.
Yep, looks like this will make short work of the Iranian Navy. :-)
USS Paul Foster is a Spruance Class Destroyer, not a cruiser. Can’t reporters be bothered to “google”?
Little problem, what is the recycle rate?????
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