Posted on 03/01/2016 10:23:21 AM PST by Red Badger
The US Army is planning to deploy the first laser weapons in 2023, it has been revealed.
Mary J. Miller, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Research and Technology, told the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities 'I believe we're very close,' when asked how close the Army is to developing offensive and defensive directed-energy weapons.
She said the programmes would be extensively tested as the Army wants to understand the lasers' full capabilities 'before we offer it to a Soldier.'
'It's being done in a 'step-wise demonstration of capability,' she said.
'We have to make sure the lasers work and do the full set of scopes against the threats we project. And those threats include the counter-rockets, counter-artillery and counter-mortar as well as [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] and cruise missile threats.'
Miller explained that the Army wants to understand the lasers' full capabilities 'before we offer it to a Soldier.'
Operators need to trust what lasers can do, she added.
'Lasers have been promised for a long time, but they've never held up and delivered what was asked for, so the operators are rightfully skeptical,' she pointed out.
'That's why the Army is taking lasers out into operational environments and testing them.
In the meantime, 'there will be steps along the way where we spin off lesser capable laser systems that can do good things on smaller platforms.
'Those will come out soon.'
The Air Force said it was already flying prototype weapons.
Dr. David Walker, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, said the Air Force is working with Special Operations Command to develop an offensive laser that will be fitted to AFSOC AC-130 gunships.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
A laser at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Starfire Optical Range on a 6,240 foot hilltop at Kirtland Air Force Base, where the Army and Navy is developing its own laser weapons systems.
Initial trials of laser weapon revealed 'unprecedented power' of system, and it will now be tested against live targets at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico this year (artist's impression shown)
Ray Guns...!! Cool....!!!
To be deployed on Moon Unit Alpha as well as Moon Unit Zappa
I don’t understand - appears simply to counter. Light can be blocked by smoke - which is what the battlefield looks like.
Does any one have this answer?
What if the enemy just covers their weapons with MIRRORS?......................
Ronald Ray Guns!........................
All we have to do is to farm out some of the tech to the Chinese and all will be well. I’m sure Hillary is working on it.
“I don’t understand - appears simply to counter. Light can be blocked by smoke - which is what the battlefield looks like.”
I am sure that has been considered, along with reflective coatings or other defensive technologies. Lasers may be most effective in the early stages of battle before smoke becomes an issue. I expect they would be used for anti-missile defense, or at sea to defend ships against incoming missiles or projectiles.
Groovy.
So when the citizens of Mexico and the rest of Central & South America simply walk in and start voting to confiscate the property of the Americans, won’t it be great that they will gain control of all this cool stuff?
What’s the point of having weapons if you don’t use them to protect your country? Really keen photos of directed energy weapons to post on the internet?
Many years ago, circa 1989, I sat in a briefing on the future of laser weapons in the army. We have been working on them for many years...the biggest fear of using them comes from the risk of maiming (blinding) the enemy, and the international outcry that would create.
So I agree these will probably be used to defend ships from missiles, to shoot down uav’s, etc....but I doubt it will be used on human targets.
As an aside, we use lasers all the time. Every tank, Bradley, Fistv, etc has a laser range finder...so the dust and smoke doesn’t seem to be a big issue.
With all the spies and hackers from China and Russia, they will have it 3 months later.
“the biggest fear of using them comes from the risk of maiming (blinding) the enemy, and the international outcry that would create.”
Well, that’s war for you. War is hell and it is supposed to be! I wouldn’t worry much because the Russians or Chinese sure as heck wouldn’t if they had them. Do you think ISIS would hold back? What difference does it make if you are shot, blown to pieces or zapped? Using lasers on muslim slim ought to be mandatory.
Regarding dust or smoke, those powerful lasers might just burn right through it.
Or even worse...what if the target is a foam party? LOL
I wonder the same thing.
Playing by rules certainly does limit us, but I think we signed on to a ‘no blinding LASER’ agreement in the 1980s. We’ve done the same with chemical and biological weapons.
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