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More Lethal Laser
The Strategy Page ^ | 11/07/2009 | The Strategy Page

Posted on 11/08/2009 10:39:49 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

The U.S. Air Force has successfully tested its new Paveway II Plus laser guided bomb. The existing Paveway II bomb has a range of 14 kilometers and will hit within less than half a meter of where the laser designator is reflecting off the target. Paveway is actually a guidance kit (costing about $20,000) that is fitted to a dumb bomb, turning it into a glide bomb that homes in on the reflected laser light. The Paveway II Plus is more accurate and reliable, but the exact figures are classified. Laser guided bombs have been in use since the 1960s. In the 1990s they were replaced, for a lot of missions, by GPS (satellite) guidance, which will land the bomb within 10 meters (31 feet) of the location specified. The backup inertial system will only get the bomb to within 50 meters. This was a major improvement over the older laser guided bombs. These weapons could get the bomb to within three meters of the target, but were subject to getting lost if there was a lot of rain, fog or blowing sand around the target. In those cases, the bomb would miss by a hundred or more meters. Moreover, the GPS has technology to defeat jamming. The anti-jamming features have not gotten a battlefield workout, and are not guaranteed to work in all circumstances. But, overall, the JDAM is the most effective bomb ever built. But if you need greater accuracy (for taking down a bridge, hitting a moving vehicle or destroying an underground bunker), you often need laser guidance.

(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: airforce; airweapons; antijamming; avionics; bomb; gps; gpsconstellation; jdam; laser; laserguided; laserguidedbomb; militarytech; paveway; pavewayii; raytheon; usairforce; usmilitary; weapons

1 posted on 11/08/2009 10:39:50 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: sonofstrangelove
great...esp. useful when GPS Is EMPed-out.

2 posted on 11/08/2009 10:44:49 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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To: skinkinthegrass

These weapons have special EMP-proof chips.


3 posted on 11/08/2009 10:45:36 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("We will either find a way, or make one."Hannibal/Carthaginian Military Commander)
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To: sonofstrangelove
These weapons have special EMP-proof chips.

..does that includes the Satellites / other platforms?
...just saying more uses for the $$$$$
not arguing...just a statement.


4 posted on 11/08/2009 10:55:22 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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To: skinkinthegrass

useful with you want to fly a bomb down Osama’s Nap Sack.


5 posted on 11/08/2009 11:11:39 PM PST by dila813
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To: sonofstrangelove
These newer "More Lethal" lasers will be used by the forces of Evil....

Frickn' sharks with laser beams attached to their heads!


6 posted on 11/08/2009 11:17:25 PM PST by GregoTX (When people find they can vote themselves money it will herald the end of the republic. Ben Franklin)
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To: skinkinthegrass

EMP explosions only affect those in low earth orbit. GPS satellite orbit with an earth radius of 6360 km, the height of the orbits is then about 20200 km(about 12,550 miles)


7 posted on 11/08/2009 11:32:40 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("We will either find a way, or make one."Hannibal/Carthaginian Military Commander)
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A visual example of the GPS constellation in motion with the Earth rotating
8 posted on 11/08/2009 11:37:12 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("We will either find a way, or make one."Hannibal/Carthaginian Military Commander)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Sure would love to designate just once.


9 posted on 11/09/2009 7:55:33 AM PST by Rannug
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To: sonofstrangelove

bump


10 posted on 11/09/2009 8:32:05 AM PST by VOA
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To: sonofstrangelove
Ahh! *lightbulb*
....thought it was throughout the ionosphere, didn't know about the low-orbit parameter....love the graphic reply #8

FR, Is a great resource. :D


11 posted on 11/10/2009 9:26:26 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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To: Rannug
Sure would love to designate just once.

*Snicker*
careful there...Zer0's SS "patrols" FR continuously...


12 posted on 11/10/2009 9:31:07 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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To: skinkinthegrass

In 1962, The United States conducted a series of high altitude tests. These man-made radiation belts eventually crippled one-third of all satellites in low orbit.Seven satellites were destroyed as radiation knocked out their solar arrays or electronics, including the first commercial relay communication satellite ever, Telstar.


13 posted on 11/10/2009 5:35:26 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("We will either find a way, or make one."Hannibal/Carthaginian Military Commander)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Yeah,smart bombs are good for a few specific missions but dumb bombs are still the best option for bringing another nation to its knees. The over reliance on smart bombs is a reflection of the new PC mentality and the information age. We use them because we have to, not because we want to. Everyone knows what we really want to do.


14 posted on 11/10/2009 5:53:41 PM PST by RC one
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To: sonofstrangelove

Let’s make millions of them. My company makes the nose cone housings for them.


15 posted on 11/10/2009 5:53:52 PM PST by Figment ("A communist is someone who reads Marx.An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx" R Reagan)
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To: sonofstrangelove; Figment
These man-made radiation belts eventually crippled one-third of all satellites in low orbit.
Seven satellites were destroyed as radiation knocked out their solar arrays or electronics
Let’s make millions of them. My company makes the nose cone housings for them.

thanks didn't know that..
HA! HA! ....Thats' the Capitalist Spirit!


16 posted on 11/11/2009 9:47:31 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Zer0 to the voter: "Welcome to 'MY' DeathCARE ® Plan"...Sucker! ...now just die. :^)
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