Breakthrough Laser Could Revolutionize Navy's Weaponry

FoxNews.Com ^ | 1/20/2011

[Lazamataz]

[mmichaels1970]

Very cool!

Spooky though that one day they may attach these things to sharks.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Perfect solution to the neighbor’s barking dog...

[101voodoo]

It will never be allowed to be used. There are certainly some air born bacteria on the endangered species list which will prevent the implementation of this weapon.

[SC_Pete]

Obama probably already gave away the technology to HU. In a quid pro quo, HU may have promised him we could sell some “stuff” in China.

[NeverForgetBataan]

Is it as powerful as a Photon Torpedo?

[himno hero]

Nahh... the Muslim outreach will get them first , aside from that, Chinese don’t like second hand goods neither.

[GeronL]

That sounds like it could be very useful.

what navy is that in the pic?

[mmichaels1970]

Don't know much about photon torpedos. But I'd be more concerned that this tech could fall into the wrong hands and we could end up with "sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their frickin heads"

[org.whodat]

Don't want to bust your bubble, but the air force has been breaking through for about thirty years now. Over coming the reload and energy requirements is a bitch.

[Huebolt]

At LAST! Some "green technology" that is actually worth something.
That is a great photo, complete with exploded pieces of targets on the floor.

[Red Badger]

Over coming the reload and energy requirements is a bitch.

FEL technology generates powerful laser beams by passing a stream of electrons -- those tiny, charged particles of matter -- through magnetic fields. Using electrons means avoiding the hassle of chemical fuels that are required for ordinary gas lasers, and bypassing the heating issue of electronic lasers.

[Huebolt]

Although that DOES look like Darth Vader in the foreground...

[TexasPatriot1]

[org.whodat]

No such thing as free energy, yet.

[drbuzzard]

If you want a more ‘techy’ article on the subject:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-11/navys-free-electron-laser-system-will-be-more-just-death-ray

[Rummyfan]

I see the Stars and Stripes flying from some of those ships, which I believe are of the LHA class. Why seven of them would all be together, who knows.

[Red Badger]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_electron_laser

[Rummyfan]

Sorry, six.....

[Tonytitan]

...what navy is that in the pic?

That's the Navy/Marine Corps assault/Harrier carriers. I could be wrong about this, but I think they're the Tarawa class and/or the Wasp class amphibious assault ships.

On a side note, I wonder if Zero was stupid enough to include this in the new START treaty and was the Senate stupid enough to sign off on such.