Posted on 03/01/2016 10:23:21 AM PST by Red Badger
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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