Posted on 01/19/2024 5:52:36 PM PST by Red Badger
The UK's DragonFire laser weapon being tested in an undated handout. MoD/Qinetiq
Britain has tested a powerful new laser weapon that can take out swarms of drones, the Ministry of Defence says.
The DragonFire laser weapon system. UK's Ministry of Defence
The DragonFire laser weapon fired at several aerial targets for the first time at a range in the Hebrides in Scotland, a press release said.
The Times reported that politicians in the UK were now hoping to speed up its deployment following growing attacks by Houthi rebels against ships in the Red Sea.
"These trials have seen us take a huge step forward in realizing the potential opportunities and understanding the threats posed by directed energy weapons," said Paul Hollinshead, the chief executive of the MoD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
The MoD hasn't disclosed the range of the weapon but says its accuracy is so great it's equivalent to being able to hit a coin at a distance of a kilometer (0.6 miles).
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Cool. I don’t know much about military stuff, but it seems like a countermeasure would be to locate the cannon based on the last known position of where a swarm was shot down, and either shell or bomb the area to get the cannon, which will be expensive. Until all other kids mass produce it.
You may not know the direction of attack against the drone swarm so your initial guess about the laser’s position has a huge uncertainty. If the laser is effective to, say, 5 km, then the laser’s position could be anywhere in a 5 km radius of the swarm. You can’t target with information that imprecise.
For those who might not know, the US military and Israel have had these laser systems in field tests for several years, and some rumors that some are in actual deployment.
Other countries unlikely to be far behind.
Now all we need is a pistol and rifle version..............
It’s not ‘futuristic’ if it’s already made in the now.
Doesn’t look like you’d have to adjust much for wind. lol
First, there's no reason for a laser "beam" to show up like that unless it is traversing air that has smoke or other particulates. And even if it was, it would not be that uniform from top to bottom.
Second, the line itself shows regular quantizing "glitches" because the line is not at exactly 45 degrees, so the "draw a straight line" graphic editor had to adjust by one pixel every 25 or so pixels.
Just expand the photo and look at that line. It was obviously added later with a graphic editor.
So.... what else about the photo and/or the article was faked?
No windage or gravity to worry about.
Developing such an incredible weapon would take a genius, and perhaps an evil genius. I’m thinking that Dr. Evil is now working for the Brits.
I wonder why that article didn’t mention Israel’s Iron Beam.
I can see the stairstep................
Interesting. How does a singular laser beam take out a swarm?
Wouldn’t the point, and trajectory, be chaotic in nature for a swarm?
Non linear approach and attack…
Maybe it has a ‘fan’ mode.....................
Something maybe in the 40 watt range?
This goes in my hmmm folder…
Just what you see pal.
Laser defenses are becoming potent enough that they will soon be able to destroy bombs, cannon shells, missiles, and aircraft in flight. At a certain point of development and effectiveness, the costs of laser defenses versus incoming projectiles and weapons shifts in favor of lasers under a broad range of conditions. As that happens, defensive lasers will tilt the strategic balance in favor of defense — at least for wealthy and technically proficient societies.
So what you’re saying is the Centra African Republic will become a global hegemony…
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