Boeing Laser System Kills a Plane

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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Boeing Laser System Kills a Plane



Who needs guns and missiles? Lasers are the future of warfare.

Earlier this year, two laser weapon systems developed by Boeing successfully demonstrated the ability to fry unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The first, dubbed the Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX), was able to destroy five UAVs from various ranges using solely a single high-brightness laser beam. The second, called Laser Defender, also killed a UAV but uses a combination of laser and kinetic energy weaponry (i.e. bullets).

MATRIX was developed under contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory, while Laser Defender is a Boeing-funded creation. Bill Baker, chief scientist of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, believes these tests "validate the use of directed energy to negate potential hostile threats against the homeland." MATRIX's performance was particularly impressive, due to its "unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively low laser power."

Boeing realizes that shooting lasers at ground vehicles from the air [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/95217-Boeings-Plane-Mounted-Laser-Cuts-Into-Truck] is just as important as shooting at air vehilcles from the ground. The company is apparently the leader in laser weapon systems, also developing the Airborne Laser (i.e. truck killer), Advanced Tactical Laser, Free Electron Laser, High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator and Tactical Relay Mirror System, which all sound like they'd really leave a nasty burn on your forearm. There is something much less visceral about a laser as opposed to a thundering gatling gun, though the laser seems like it has its advantages.

So, when do phasers get here?

Source: Slashdot [http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=941]


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TheFacelessOne

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Feb 13, 2009
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VitusPrime said:
when boeing gets board of matrix lazers, thats when they make phasers
How can you get a board with matrix lasers? I want one.

OT: This is interesting. I wonder what they're going to do with it.
 

Kollega

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Jun 5, 2009
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It looks like US Air Forces are CHARGING THEIR LAZORZ! Now just polish these systems to a mirror-shine (pun very much intended), and we're good to go.
 

Gigaguy64

Special Zero Unit
Apr 22, 2009
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......AWESOME!
So the first one was pure energy and the second used Bullets with energy?
Looks like someone over there likes Outlaw Star a little too much.
 

VitusPrime

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Sep 26, 2008
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TheFacelessOne said:
VitusPrime said:
when boeing gets board of matrix lazers, thats when they make phasers
How can you get a board with matrix lasers? I want one.

OT: This is interesting. I wonder what they're going to do with it.
FUNK TYPO

and to rescue myself. when the BOARD gets BORED of the lazers, we will get Phasers!
 

Rusty Bucket

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Dec 2, 2008
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Tom Goldman said:
High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator
Is this just a salesman that gets parachuted in to show all the bad guys how amazing this laser stuff is?
 

TheFacelessOne

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Feb 13, 2009
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VitusPrime said:
TheFacelessOne said:
VitusPrime said:
when boeing gets board of matrix lazers, thats when they make phasers
How can you get a board with matrix lasers? I want one.

OT: This is interesting. I wonder what they're going to do with it.
FUNK TYPO

and to rescue myself. when the BOARD gets BORED of the lazers, we will get Phasers!
I still want a board of matrix lasers though.
 

kannibus

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Sep 21, 2009
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Awesome! Please Jesus/Buddha/Superman tell me I get to play with one of these things during my military career!

Better start working on my "Command Voice".

"Shields up, weapons on-line... Not equipped with shields? Well then buckle up!"
 

Sebenko

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Dec 23, 2008
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Lasers are the future. There is nothing they cannot do.

Appease Boeing before they get they hands on total world control.
 

dududf

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Aug 31, 2009
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To quote "Physics of the Impossible"

When we start walking around with nuclear back pack powerplants.
 

Doc Theta Sigma

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Jan 5, 2009
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Rusty Bucket said:
Tom Goldman said:
High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator
Is this just a salesman that gets parachuted in to show all the bad guys how amazing this laser stuff is?
Come on don't be like that. His name is Tony Stark and you know it. Give the man some credit :p
 

Katherine Kerensky

Why, or Why Not?
Mar 27, 2009
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Heh heh heh.
oh. damn.
Soon, I'll have to choose between a Las-Pistol or a Gyrojet Pistol :(
I want both :(

but anyway...
yes. lasers. yes.
 

Rusty Bucket

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Dec 2, 2008
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Doc Theta Sigma said:
Rusty Bucket said:
Tom Goldman said:
High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator
Is this just a salesman that gets parachuted in to show all the bad guys how amazing this laser stuff is?
Come on don't be like that. His name is Tony Stark and you know it. Give the man some credit :p
Do we get the free drinks cooler with this one as well? That thing was funky.
 

Asehujiko

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Feb 25, 2008
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So i take it that this one is more effective then the one shown a while back that only managed to burn the paint off a car?