Posted on 07/21/2010 6:39:35 AM PDT by combat_boots
The U.S. Navy has successfully tested a new weapon that uses high powered laser beams that are capable of destroying high speed planes and ships. The successful test was demonstrated today at an aerospace convention in the United Kingdom where a video showing the weapon destroying a test drone was screened.
The laser gun which was designed by Raytheon Missile Systems utilizes a 32 mega watt beam of directed energy that is capable of engaging targets traveling at speeds of over 300 miles per hour from a distance of several miles. The weapon can be mounted on the turrets used by many of the ships currently maintained in the arsenals of the American Navy and Coast Guard and it has been designed with the capacity to be integrated into their standard defense systems.
While laser based weapons have been developed in the past, Raytheon’s design is the first such weapon to be successfully tested at sea.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbythesecond.com ...
Still unresolved is how to mount the sucker on the frickin’ head of a shark.
Let’s start small...ill-tempered sea bass.
Gives a new meaning to the term “light it up”.
Not a good sport fishing method. The fish would be overcooked by the time it reached the boat. Not to mention the gold plated thick welding-type goggles everyone would have to wear just in case. They could save the eyes while the head explodes.
Obama’s in charge, remember that.
We’ll share the technology with our muslim “brothers” in order to help them feel good about themselves.
Then we’ll slash the program out of the budget to pay for more give aways to the lazy.
Should come in handy for the kenyan administration when the revolution begins.
ping
LOL, actually, it was an Austin Powers reference. Dr. Evil wanted sharks with lasers on their heads, but the sharks were on the endangered species list and thus hard to obtain, so they settled for “ill-tempered” sea bass.
don’t fret...Raytheon Missile Systems is in Arizona...the Kenyan illegal alien will boycot them...
"Back in the 60's, I developed a weather changing machine which was in essence a sophisticated heat beam which we called a 'laser'...."
This is a good start. The next step will be to increase the ability to engage higher speed targets - up to 2500 miles per hour - and lower speed jinking targets.
The drone manages to keep on its flight path for a while after being targeted.
Dang. If that thing is ever to be deployed it will have to be small. How do you make anything requiring 32 meg watts small?
Very expensive too.
Given the way 'classified' defense projects get PR, likelihood is good this one is yesterday's news and that a new and improved model is already zapping more complex targets.
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