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The US Navy has been pursuing solid-state laser weapons capable of setting other vessels on fire for years, but now one is almost ready to actually be put out to sea. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) today announced that it is aiming to "field and test a solid-state laser prototype" in early 2014 aboard the USS Ponce. The Ponce is a transport vessel from the 1970s that was recently upgraded into a hi-tech floating base and is stationed in the Persian Gulf, in range of Iranian attack boats.
No, the word "drone" doesn't indicate speed, and the reason they used a drone is because not many pilots would raise their hands to volunteer to be shot down to test a weapon system.The reason they used a drone was because the damn thing practically stands still in the sky so they can hit it without knocking out a satellite.
A new laser for use on all directed infrared counter-measure systems on military aircraft has been introduced by Northrop Grumman's Laser Systems business unit. The new Viper 2.1, part of the company's Viper family of lasers, is the result of five years of development and testing, the company said. The laser features increased power and efficiency, simplified optical path alignment, reduced weight, and reliability enhancements. It can be used in a variety of configurations of DIRCM system suites.
A directed infrared counter-measure system targets an incoming heat-seeking missile.
"The value of performance of our DIRCM systems stem from our intentional design approach toward a modular open systems architecture," Jeffrey Q. Palombo, vice president and general manager, Land and Self Protection Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. "Viper 2.1 can be used in forward-fit or back-fit applications, simultaneously enabling increased survivability, reliability and cost savings."
DIRCM systems protect aircraft from heat-seeking missiles by sending them off target. Earlier variants of the company's Viper are installed on some 55 different types of military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Viper 2.1 will soon be ready for full production, Northrop Grumman said.
New Viper anti-missile laser introduced by Northrop Grumman - UPI.com
From Navy destroys drone with laser weapon ahead of 2014 deployment | The Verge comes this story with a great video:
The US Navy has been pursuing solid-state laser weapons capable of setting other vessels on fire for years, but now one is almost ready to actually be put out to sea. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) today announced that it is aiming to "field and test a solid-state laser prototype" in early 2014 aboard the USS Ponce. The Ponce is a transport vessel from the 1970s that was recently upgraded into a hi-tech floating base and is stationed in the Persian Gulf, in range of Iranian attack boats.
[ame=[MEDIA=youtube]OmoldX1wKYQ[/MEDIA] Weapon System (LaWS) - YouTube[/ame]
I saw that too, it looks like they are mainly looking to test how well it works in sea conditions but supposedly if they needed to they could easily fry small watercraft with it at the cost of $1 per shot.The USS Ponce deployed with it's new weapon in the Persian Gulf about a week ago.
It's from Wal-Mart...Less that $1 per pulse!
Welcome to the future, stop living in the last century...A circle firing squad? Guess which country uses drones? The reason they used a drone was because the damn thing practically stands still in the sky so they can hit it without knocking out a satellite. They spend a billion dollars on a freaking laser to kill pirates when they had .50 cal machine guns that the wouldn't or couldn't use?
It focuses a beam of intense heat that has a far greater range than a .50 cal.A circle firing squad? Guess which country uses drones? The reason they used a drone was because the damn thing practically stands still in the sky so they can hit it without knocking out a satellite. They spend a billion dollars on a freaking laser to kill pirates when they had .50 cal machine guns that the wouldn't or couldn't use?
Aircraft, such as drones, and bomb laden speed boats operate on flammable and explosive fuel. The fuel and bombs explode when targeted with a beam of intense heat.Wouldn't trust laser tests if you don't understand lasers. Lasers burn holes in things. If you see a laser test blowing something up, it was staged.
It focuses a beam of intense heat that has a far greater range than a .50 cal.A circle firing squad? Guess which country uses drones? The reason they used a drone was because the damn thing practically stands still in the sky so they can hit it without knocking out a satellite. They spend a billion dollars on a freaking laser to kill pirates when they had .50 cal machine guns that the wouldn't or couldn't use?
Aircraft, such as drones, and bomb laden speed boats operate on flammable and explosive fuel. The fuel and bombs explode when targeted with a beam of intense heat.Wouldn't trust laser tests if you don't understand lasers. Lasers burn holes in things. If you see a laser test blowing something up, it was staged.
Bullets pop holes in things.Wouldn't trust laser tests if you don't understand lasers. Lasers burn holes in things. If you see a laser test blowing something up, it was staged.
Do you know the temperature of that laser beam they are using? Is it possible that is hotter than a "flame"?It focuses a beam of intense heat that has a far greater range than a .50 cal.A circle firing squad? Guess which country uses drones? The reason they used a drone was because the damn thing practically stands still in the sky so they can hit it without knocking out a satellite. They spend a billion dollars on a freaking laser to kill pirates when they had .50 cal machine guns that the wouldn't or couldn't use?
Aircraft, such as drones, and bomb laden speed boats operate on flammable and explosive fuel. The fuel and bombs explode when targeted with a beam of intense heat.Wouldn't trust laser tests if you don't understand lasers. Lasers burn holes in things. If you see a laser test blowing something up, it was staged.
Fuel isn't as ignitable as many think. Can toss a match into gasoline and it'll just fizzle out. Only way it ignites is if the flame is in contact with fumes long enough to ignote it. And if a laser hits a fuel tank, and remains precisely on target long enough, it'll burn through the metal and conceivably ignite the fuel. Most solid explosives though wont detonate being hit by a laser. Can put plastic explosives in a microwave and fry it just fine, or light it on fire. Takes concussive force to detonate. And since most military ordinance is a variant of plastic explosive, lasers making it cook off is more likely rigged to do so than anything having to do with a laser making it detonate.
Lasers have been around a long time, reason they haven't been commonplace offensive weapons is due to this. They aren't good as weapons.
Lasers have been around a long time, reason they haven't been commonplace offensive weapons is size, power requirements, and range challenges.Lasers have been around a long time, reason they haven't been commonplace offensive weapons is due to this. They aren't good as weapons.
Would you want to be on an aircraft that had a powerful laser beam burning holes in the wings, fuselage, fuel tanks, electronic instruments, pilots, etc.?Lasers burn holes in things.
