Posted on 04/08/2011 3:05:47 PM PDT by Nachum
One if by land … lasers if by sea.
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Great for takin’ out those stoopid Iranian boats!
Damn! I want one!!!
Read the article, too much info public. We told the world what type of laser, who makes it and extent of progress. Stupid thing to do. We live in precarious times, any advancement in technologies must be kept secret because our globalist corporations would teach it to our enemies and competitors for the mighty profit. China may not be able to make it immediately but she now knows which corporation to target for espionage and have her counter measure folks draw from the clue that the USN uses solid state lasers. Unlike the US, authoritarian gov can mass resources quickly to catch up while we languish in Congress to get the device into production at exorbitant prices. If the US wants to survive the challenges of the late 21st Century trade secrets and tech secrets well kept will insure her people will have good jobs (social stability) and more advanced (military and economics) then her allies and enemies. Ancient China rose above all Asian neighbors due to her ability to keep silk manufacturing secret until the late 1700’s. US may need to study that technology model in lieu of the suicidal free trade model.
Some things are just too cool.
It would be a GREAT asset to duck hunters too!
Somali pirates best be loading up on mirrors and sunscreen.
Better for taking out airborne targets.
The future ain't what it used to be.
I hope china was paying attention
Does that damn thing make popcorn too?
...not to mention jet-skis that get within the no-wake zone. and maybe some of the wake-boarders, for good measure...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ds0wYpc1eM
Real Genius: Laser & popcorn.
Now go field test it in the Indian Ocean along the coastal waters of Somalia and Yemen.
OK. Two ideas come to mind. One is put some of these on the Carrier USS Enterprise and every time they go to battle they can blast the old star trek theme song over loudspeakers before open up on them with phasers.
Next idea is to put some of these bad boys along the US/Mexico border and blast anyone who tries to come across illegally. No bodies and nobody missed. That’s a border fence that would work.
‘No bodies and nobody missed. That’s a border fence that would work.’
Like this weapon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WhOOmVOpY&feature=related
Yeah, something like that but without leaving a skeleton. More like the heat rays from War of the Worlds.
Removing pin feathers from the wine gravy is a definite choke point, bird shot notwithstanding. sd
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