Posted on 12/16/2021 10:00:36 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The U.S. Navy on Wednesday released dramatic photos from a demonstration of a high-energy laser weapon system that "successfully engaged" a floating target during a test in the Gulf of Aden.
The laser was test-fired from the USS Portland, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, which previously used the laser in May 2020 to destroy a drone, which was considered a first-of-its-kind test of such a weapon, USNI News reported.
The Navy took to Twitter to post futuristic infrared images that showed the laser training on its target. Another image showed sailors in a control room presumably wearing protective glasses.
The Navy on Tuesday opened a $23 million laboratory in California’s Ventura County that will serve as a test facility for new laser weapons, the Times of San Diego reported.
The paper described the Directed Energy Systems Integration Laboratory as a 1,500-square-foot facility "designed so that weapons can be installed on its roof as well as inside the building for test and evaluation."
Vance Brahosky, the deputy technical director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, told the paper that the "speed of warfare" has increased dramatically over the past several years.
"One of the best ways that our fleet is going to be able to fight and win is with speed-of-light laser technology types of weapons," he said.
The system tested on Tuesday could be used to counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Seems like an expensive solution to the drone boat problem. I would think a 50 cal burst would do the trick.
Guns run out of ammo. If this isn’t a chemical-fueled laser, the laser can fire as long as it has a sufficient power feed.
Also, it’s kind of trivial to armor a boat against .50 BMG these days, if only on the frontal surfaces.
Hypersonic Chinese and Russian missiles can’t
outrun the speed of light laser weapon, that’s
why we need it. When they go fast we go faster.
I guess I'm willing to sell my 2,000 square foot house to the navy for $23 million, and it has a pool to boot!
Armies and navies have been shooting bullets out of guns at each other for well over 100 years. Isn’t it obvious that they are obsolete? Yeah, bullets are lethal, but lasers must be far more lethal. Let’s start using them.
I figured out the real reason for them wanting these hypersonic missiles, especially when you factor in the test for them firing a missile from themselves at mach 6 speed:
Aurora
That’s the real,reason for these gadgets. China is running their missiles at Mach-crazy. 10?
In alot less time that it took that fancy laser to down that drone, one 1/4 second burst from a vulcan would have obliterated it into cloud of tiny vaporous pieces.
Will a polished, shiny surface (like a mirror) not defeat a laser?
Pretty much, however materials are not reflective to all wavelengths of light.
Guns are a lot easier but a lot shorter range, slower, and take some skill. At any sufficiently distant range it gets pretty easy to avoid getting hit by bullets by never being where they were aimed when fired.
Regards,
Heheh! I was just thinking along those same lines but you beat me to it.
Set your course to Planet Iran Commander!
I’ve thought of that as well. Aiming
at and tracking a projectile going many times
Faster than a speeding bullet.
How long are they going to play this game with lasers? In the 1980s I was working on a frame for a laser that was going to be used by the Navy to shoot down icbms. This can be a very practical weapon but you need a very large power source. Maybe a separate turbine to run just a generator for this. This is not difficult to do if you just do it. The difficulty would be in what the range is a Bissell laser and how much heat can a generate at a distance. The fact that they’ve been doing this for 40 years tells me that they probably can’t do this in our lifetime or, it’s right around the corner. The creation of a Mach 6 missile has been here 4 years and it seems that we are just way too far behind the ability to eliminate this threat
What about clouds, smoke or fog between the laser and target?
What about training attack sharks armed with laser firing helmets? Well, what about it?
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