Posted on 08/17/2020 7:13:06 PM PDT by marktwain
The Defense Department expects to stand up its first battalion of Stryker vehicles outfitted with high-powered laser weapons by some time next year, Army officials say.
“Expect to have the first battalion fielded in 2021 with four battalions by 2023,” U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command chief Lt. Gen. Dan Karbler told the audience at the virtual Space Missile Defense symposium on Tuesday
The so-called "laser battalion," as Defense One described it, would eventually deploy the new 50 kw Directed Energy-Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (DE-MSHORAD) Stryker that the Army is working to field by 2022, a ten-fold power increase over the 5 kw-class system that artillery soldiers have been testing in Germany since early 2018.
Defense contractors Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are currently competing to manufacture the new laser system, with plans for a "shoot off" between the two prototypes at Fort Sill in Oklahoma some time in May 2021, according to Breaking Defense.
A platoon of four laser Strykers prototypes will end up in the hands of an actual combat unit some time in 2022, according to Breaking Defense, with the laser system integrated into the vehicles' existing hardware as soon as this December.
(Excerpt) Read more at taskandpurpose.com ...
I supported a test in which a helicopter was shot down by laser in 1975, as I recall.
They have already been fielded, with limited capability.
These are 10x stronger, with another 3x on the horizon.
That would reach the level of being able to shoot down cruse missiles.
I suppose the only drawback is you illuminate yourself as a target.
50 kW is in the serious power range. I imagine they will be in the ultraviolet range because ultraviolet has more power than lower band weapons.
Probably about the same as any weapon. Missile weapons are detectable by sound signature and radar.
Great weapons for the space force.
Much harder to be armored there, or to hide, as well.
In the article, they are talking about 300 kw in the near future.
The only illumination will be from particles of dust in the path of the beam. Laser does not scatter until it strikes something.
The biggest problem in space is: How do you dump the waste heat?
They’re needed in Portland tonight.
With enough power, the air itself will glow!
Wow!
Good question. A vacuum is an excellent thermal insulator. Maybe fins on the dark side of the laser.
Will they go “Pew! Pew! Pew!”?
Does anyone know how these are powered?
I’d hate to see them vulnerable to counter-battery fire.
I don’t know about that. That would mean that the laser beam is transferring heat to the air and not to the target.
I have one of these.
I was shining it on the wall for the cat to chase, and I melted the neighbor’s pickup.
I would suspect by a large bank of capacitors that are recharged by an APU.
Just trying to keep up with Antifa... Antifa has had a laser battalion for a couple of months.
Glad to see the Army has them beat on output power.
When one wants Over Horizon Weapons.
*When your target is in line of sight, so are you.
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