Navy Deploying Laser Weapon Prototype Near Iran

The New York Times ^ | April 8, 2013 | By THOM SHANKER

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

WASHINGTON — The Navy is going to sea for the first time with a laser attack weapon that has been shown in tests to disable patrol boats and blind or destroy surveillance drones. A prototype shipboard laser will be deployed on a converted amphibious transport and docking ship in the Persian Gulf, where Iranian fast-attack boats have harassed American warships and where the government in Tehran is building remotely piloted aircraft carrying surveillance pods and, someday potentially, rockets.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

H/T to the Drudge Report.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Laser Weapon Demo Video at the article website

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Not ready yet....but .....:

*****************************************EXCERPT***********************************

Among the advantages cited in the study for Congress was the low cost — less than $1 per sustained pulse — of using a high-energy laser against certain targets. By comparison, current short-range air-defense interceptor missiles cost up to $1.4 million each.

[onyx]

Video is well worth watching!

[Conserev1]

Question, can the destructive force be bounced off a satellite
to a specific long and lat and still be effective?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Second video has Admiral explain:

Navy Unveils Drone-Killing Laser (VIDEO)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Whoops,...not worth much,....

[Red Badger]

No doubt that it can be physically accomplished, but the beam would be substantially attenuated going through the once, let alone atmosphere twice. So you would have to have a humongous amount of energy to begin with to have any at the target......

[bmwcyle]

bttt

[DoodleDawg]

Whoops,...not worth much,....

They can point it at the shore and watch all the cats go crazy.

[Conserev1]

Thanx!

[onedoug]

Ponce is formerly LPD 15 of the Austin class, same-same Ogden.

[Conserev1]

The location of the weapon in the animation seems to curtail a 360 degree feild of fire relying on Ship navigation for total coverage! But it does look like Little Kim’s missile may have a hurdle to jump! If deployed off the Korean coast but I doubt that would be in the headlines!

[DJ MacWoW]

End It In April!

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Might need a second on on the rear .

[Marine_Uncle]

Hey! I want one of them. :)