Israeli-U.S. Mobile Laser Scores First Success

Middle East Newsline ^ | 12/23/2002 | Middle East Newsline

[grimalkin]

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- A mobile laser weapon developed by Israel and the United States has scored its first success.

In its first test, the Mobile Tactical Higher Energy Laser laser weapon destroyed an artillery shell traveling at supersonic speed. The trial on Tuesday took place at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and launched the demonstration phase of the mobile system.

Officials said Israel and the United States are expecting to complete a mobile version of the laser by 2006. A stationary laser system was considered too bulky for the Israeli military.

"The MTHEL tracked, locked and fired a burst of photons on an artillery projectile," a statement by the U.S. Army Space Command said. "Seconds later, at a point well short of its intended destination, the projectile was destroyed."

[Jim Robinson]

Wooo hoo! Way to go!

Merry Christmas!

[Centurion2000]

Something that others might not realize. This just rendered planes obsolete of airspace within LOS of this thing.

Sure a plane can dodge a SAM missile,but photons ? Not a chance in hell.

[archy]

Was it radar cued? Lasers sort of suck for searching.

A TPQ-36 (V) counterbattery radar doesn't though [Tipsy 33 in my day]. And the lasers can then give precise distance information for not only perfectly directing a more powerful laser against the incoming projectile/s, but can also automatically transmit the digital information to counterbattery artillery for return fire so that a second incoming round or rounds won't likely be fired.

[Poohbah]

Sure a plane can dodge a SAM missile,but photons ? Not a chance in hell.

It's not so much dodging photons as in maneuvering enough to keep the photons from concentrating on one spot for a sufficient period of time.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Thanks, Check out this site:

http://www.raytheon.com/products/tpq36/ref_docs/antpq36.pdf

Yeah, they say the TPQ-36 is an X-Band radar, which is almost the optimum wavelength for search at short ranges (12-24 km). It would have to tranmit fairly accurate state vectors with very little latency for them to be useful as cues to a laser, which has to reacquire and then burn the thing up.

I was sort of wondering if anyone knew how they acquired the target in the first place, among other details.

[Darksheare]

Doesn't matter. Light travels fast, and with a high enough energy throughput the target's skin expands violently, regardless of the spot 'painted' with the laser.

[Poohbah]

Doesn't matter. Light travels fast, and with a high enough energy throughput the target's skin expands violently, regardless of the spot 'painted' with the laser.

Key words highlighted for emphasis. Getting that "high enough input" ain't easy at tactically significant ranges.

[Darksheare]

But the THEL mounted on a 747 achieves enough throuput thta even a few second or less skin paint with the laser will make the target react rather badly. (undertsatement..)

Unless this Theater High Energy Laser isn't the same as the one developed at Helstf out west.

[Poohbah]

It's the same laser under very different conditions. It's flying well above the troposphere, engaging targets well above the troposphere, so there's a lot less crud and atmosphere to punch through. It's also engaging non-evasive targets.

[Darksheare]

Hmmmmm.
*Ponders info*

[JohnathanRGalt]

Seriously, hitting an artillery shell in the air is rather remarkable, since it is such a small target.

Not for a computer positioned beam.

[1stFreedom]

Well, one has to consider a few factors.

A space plane would be protected from heat. Traveling at mach 6-15, the skin would be enormously hot.

Secondly, there could possible be protection in the form of plasma, which might be able to disperse a laser.

Thirdly, I would think that space based sattelites would destroy ground based laser weapons platforms. Ie, we blow up your air defense lasers, and in about 1 hour later our hypersonic bombers will be dropping bombs on you.