Posted on 04/08/2013 12:17:23 PM PDT by Red Steel
The Pentagon has plans to deploy its first ever ship-mounted laser next year, a disruptive, cutting-edge weapon capable of obliterating small boats and unmanned aerial vehicles with a blast of infrared energy.
Navy officials announced Monday that in early 2014, a solid-state laser prototype will be mounted to the fantail of the USS Ponce and sent to the 5th fleet region in the Middle East for real-world experience.
Video released by the Navy shows the laser lock onto a slow-moving target, in this case an unmanned drone, which bursts aflame in mid-flight. The drone soon catches fire and crashes into the sea below.
"It operates much like a blowtorch ... with an unlimited magazine," one official said.
There are potential targets for the laser in the 5th fleet region, which includes the Persian Gulf, where Iran operates small surveillance drones and is known for swarming and harassing U.S. Navy ships with small, armored speed boats.
-snip-
In April 2011, the Navy conducted a more limited test of a similar weapon, blasting a boat from the water with a laser weapon. Nevin Carr, chief of Naval Research at the time, said this energy weapon would not handle all types of threats, however.
"To begin to address a cruise missile threat, we'd need to get up to hundreds of kilowatts," Carr said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
“Is it too much to ask for some ships with some frickin’ lasers?”
Very cool
“Throw me a bone, here.”
Can these be put on sharks?
This thread doesn’t belong in the “bang” list because it goes “pew pew pew”.
Great now the government is going to want to ban my laser pointer!
Zappp!
You have to admit that’d be cool!
My only question is how long does it have to paint the target?
Is there a new rate for these, or will it be FT/GMs?
“You’ll put your eye out, kid.”
Infrared energy — also known as “heat” — dissipates quickly with the square of the distance. Such a weapon would have a very short range.
It doesn’t shoot heat, does it? I thought the heat was generated when/where the beam hits it’s target.
Mini-Me, stop humping the giant “laser”! Why don’t you and the giant “laser” go get a frickin’ room, okay?
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