Talking About Lasers

swat_pup6433 · Post by **swat_pup6433** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:13 am

this is kinna "old" technology by US standards.. but... why don't we get one of this goodies ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcmI6UnR ... re=related

i am sure other than taking little projectiles down this baby would bring down any flying object that is coming our way ? please!! get this toy!! i dont wanna be carrying darn heavy missiles said to be "man portable" for air defense anymore!!

Canopus Lim · Post by **Canopus Lim** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:10 am

Probably you would not want to man carry this equipment..... it weighs tonnes. What is shown is just only the telescope to collimate the high energy laser to burn up the projectile but such a laser system would need huge amount of power. One better not stand in front of it else he will catch fire. hehe

Also..it is not USA tech..it is Israel tech.

Tachyon · Post by **Tachyon** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:32 am

According to wikipedia the program was discontinued. And it uses chemical lasers.

swat_pup6433 · Post by **swat_pup6433** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:45 pm

haha discontinued?! aww.. why ~~ i bet i'll be fun torching the fuel tanks of all the jets flying around.. they wont even know what hit them.. provided they their IR camera dont show one giant holy beam of laser shining at them.

Zephyrus · Post by **Zephyrus** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:39 pm

I could imagine why it was discontinued. The radiation from the laser could kill a guy exposed to it for less than a millisecond, and if it were to be abused as a warfare weapon (not to bring down missiles but humans), it could be a disaster. And since it uses chemical, I'd assume it's a sort of nuclear weapon. So, yeah.

Post by **weixing** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:59 pm

Hi,
The idea is good, but not very practical... still take too long to destroy the target, may not be effective on target with reflective surface, may not be effective in bad weather and I think very high operating cost.

The radiation from the laser could kill a guy exposed to it for less than a millisecond, and if it were to be abused as a warfare weapon (not to bring down missiles but humans), it could be a disaster. And since it uses chemical, I'd assume it's a sort of nuclear weapon. So, yeah.

Err... this is suppose to be a weapon, so I don't think this is an issue.

Have a nice day.

Post by **Airconvent** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:29 pm

The problems with these weapons is high attenuation from all kinds of weather conditions. Imagine trying to shoot down a missile when the indon haze blowing towards us...there would be too much scatter. Alot of the energy will be wasted vaporising dust along the way to the target. Also the system will have to take into consideration refraction too..

swat_pup6433 · Post by **swat_pup6433** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:32 pm

haha cant we like use it for other means?? like... use it on land!! point it at ground targets instead~ i bet we can vaporize the entire platoon using this stuff!

Post by **Airconvent** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:19 am

swat_pup6433 wrote:haha cant we like use it for other means?? like... use it on land!! point it at ground targets instead~ i bet we can vaporize the entire platoon using this stuff!

In order to get that kind of power, you need to focus it intensely which means localised targets. I guess you can swing the laser back and forth before it overheats but the beam trajectory would lead the enemy fire back to you.

Tachyon · Post by **Tachyon** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:08 am

I wonder what would happen if the enemy uses a giant mirror to reflect the laser back?