Military Laser Slices Steel 1km Away

[Abomination]

This reminds me of the multi-beam frigate in Homeword: Cataclysm. The ship is designed with about 6 weapons like this to shoot down small fast moving strike craft. Not too effective against capital ships but a fighter/bomber pilot would have to be mad to try and attack one.

The sheer accuracy of this weapon will make it perfect at counter-ballistic/missile/rocket technology.

Then there will be laser cannons and small arms (I don't think a laser-rifle is the correct term, the laser itself wouldn't benefit from rifleing at all)... and to counter that some wackjob will make 'shields'.

 

[srm79]

It's always the Germans, isn't it? Still, very fascinating. Conventional guns will never be taken out of production however. This stuff sounds incredibly expensive and even if a handheld weapon were devised, I bet it would be very limited. Probably using a powerpack on the back or something for energy. Who knows...

When the first muzzle-loading guns first appeared, I bet someone somewhere said something very similar. I don't mean muskets, I mean the original big-ass cannons that could lob a metal ball a couple of hundred yards.

This is first generation stuff here. Give it the 400+ years that firearms have had to evolve to their current level of sophistication, and I guarantee you that the only ballistic firearms left will be museum pieces and competition weapons.

Almost no surprise that it's the Germans that came up with this. They've been technologically streets ahead of everyone else since before World War 2.

 

[Groenteman]

Aaand then someone thinks of adding a reflective coating to their missle and the multi-mullion euro laser gun went kaboom.

Like most defensive measures, its so much more expensive than the things its defending against. Not as miserably inefficient as patriot missles though. They got those firing at palastine rockets, you know the ones made from ducttape and soda bottles that 99% of the time blow up a completely innocent boulder. Makes you wonder whos realy winning.

 

[Robert0288]

Now that is pretty awesome, but how well does it fare when it comes to rapidly switching targets? If it can pull that off, then perhaps these things can even stop MIRV warheads (not necessarily nukes, since nukes are not the exclusive users of that tech), and that would be truly awesome.

Target switching shouldn't be a problem as you can just mount the laser to existing C-RAM/Phalanx-esque CIWS system. My bigger interest is if it can take out cruise missiles. Specifically the Chinese hypersonic anti-carrier missile. Mount a one of the new lasers to a carrier, and watch the light show. Safety wise only thing I would be worried about is a bird, or dust flying in front of the laser while firing. People will be within close proximity (in real life, not testing) and the scatter off any target that is hit close by could permanently blind a large number of people instantly.

 

[Albino Boo]

Terrifyingly ambitious, if I do say so myself.

Starting to wonder how long it'll be before lasers obsolete gunpowder.

There several problems with laser weapons. The biggest one is energy supply, there is not an efficient way to store electrical energy in reasonably portable manner. The energy density that is safely stored in gunpowder weapons are difficult to match, its the same basic problem as electric cars. Batteries and generators are heavier and contain less energy than there pure chemical counterparts. The other big problem is thermal blooming. Thermal blooming means that the laser beam is heating up the air between it and the target. So for long range or greater penetration you need much greater energy inputs. The third problem is that lasers are line of sight only. So if there is a 50 year old 152mm Russian artillery gun sitting behind a hill 15 miles away there is nothing you can do about it. Also when you are dealing with naval engagements because of the curvature of the earth you would end with less range than current anti ship missiles.

 

[Keneth]

Turret mounted point defense lasers?

Sweet!

 

[meatloaf231]

Let me get this straight.

Humanity just made a laser that we then used to blow up robots.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

Now to find some sharks.

(please, by all that is good, have we finally arrived at the happy day when nobody catches the reference?)

A day may come when men look upon a Sharks with Friggin Lazerbeams reference, and not get where it is from. But today is not that day

 

[Vuliev]

Aaand then someone thinks of adding a reflective coating to their missle and the multi-mullion euro laser gun went kaboom.

Like most defensive measures, its so much more expensive than the things its defending against. Not as miserably inefficient as patriot missles though. They got those firing at palastine rockets, you know the ones made from ducttape and soda bottles that 99% of the time blow up a completely innocent boulder. Makes you wonder whos realy winning.

There's a lot more to a laser beam than the fact that it's made of light and points straight ahead. To put it in perspective, that beam carries the same amount of heat energy as, for example, this natural gas combustion generator [http://www.generatorsales.com/order/01729.asp?page=F01729], packed into an area roughly the size of an adult fist. That's an incredible amount of heat applied to a very small area. A reflective coating would only redirect or disperse a fraction of that energy before it melted or combusted.

 

[kajinking]

Ok it's effective against drones and mortars, but what about Deathclaws?

 

[Albino Boo]

Aaand then someone thinks of adding a reflective coating to their missle and the multi-mullion euro laser gun went kaboom.

Like most defensive measures, its so much more expensive than the things its defending against. Not as miserably inefficient as patriot missles though. They got those firing at palastine rockets, you know the ones made from ducttape and soda bottles that 99% of the time blow up a completely innocent boulder. Makes you wonder whos realy winning.

The Palestinians are using Grad-P rockets these days which have about three times the range and 5 times the warhead as there now disused home made jobs. The grad rockets, in common with AK47 and RPG, are pretty much generic. However the they will be in the same order of magnitude of cost per launch as the Iron dome missile. The expensive bit is the tracking gear not the rockets themselves.

 

[Lucky Godzilla]

Aaand then someone thinks of adding a reflective coating to their missle and the multi-mullion euro laser gun went kaboom.

Like most defensive measures, its so much more expensive than the things its defending against. Not as miserably inefficient as patriot missles though. They got those firing at palastine rockets, you know the ones made from ducttape and soda bottles that 99% of the time blow up a completely innocent boulder. Makes you wonder whos realy winning.

Actually no, the idea that a mirror can reflect a weaponized laser is a common misconception. Unless the mirror can reflect 100% (the mirror in your household reflects roughly 40% of the light directed at it), the laser will only take a second or two to burn through it. That and the fact that the mirrors would have to be kept in pristine condition during flight. Imagine an ICBM in a silo, surrounded by all the smoke and debris of the rocket firing. When we consider that Israel was able to stomach stuffing its iron dome with missiles that cost $90,000 a pop, in comparison a one time investment for a laser that requires no ammunition and runs off electricity in ludicrously cheap. The average price for a single KWh in the U.S is ten cents.
Even when we are forced to use systems such as the patriot missiles, one has to ask how much is a human life worth? Or if you are a souless bastard, how much would it cost to rebuild the damage done by the rocket.

 

[Gilhelmi]

i knew that the cancellation of the dragon tank was a lie.

Now all we need to do is attatch those lasers to some sharks.

EDIT: To Newton: No, because you just ninja'd me. Blast.

you could just say mount it on a horses head.

bow before the lasercorn!

The sad part, It took me a couple minuets to realize that was an Onion people.

Terrifyingly ambitious, if I do say so myself.

Starting to wonder how long it'll be before lasers obsolete gunpowder.

Will never happen. Guns do not need electricity.

But I must start to wonder, When will the NRA get around to ensuring my right to hunt with a Laser Rifle? I guess they have bigger battles to fight at the moment, maybe next year.

 

[Snownine]

Terrifyingly ambitious, if I do say so myself.

Starting to wonder how long it'll be before lasers obsolete gunpowder.

Lasers have their place but will never completely replace projectiles. You have tons of payload options with projectiles, and the systems are much more flexible than any laser system in the foreseeable future. Not to mention the fact that lasers are incapable of indirect fire.

 

[Monsterfurby]

Please someone travel back to '43 and tell people even if they win the war, 2013 will see the development of a

GERMAN. DEATH. RAY.

Then sell them spare pants.

Most important question though - does it cut Vibranium?

 

[Bostur]

you could just say mount it on a horses head.

bow before the lasercorn!

And pray that it doesn't bow before you.

 

[WWmelb]

But I must start to wonder, When will the NRA get around to ensuring my right to hunt with a Laser Rifle? I guess they have bigger battles to fight at the moment, maybe next year.

Hunting lazers = pre-cooked food = win.

 

[texanarob]

With so much of technology reliant on improved energy storage, a breakthrough within a few decades is almost guaranteed. And once we can store the energy required, these weapons will dominate.

It surprises me, however, that a series of superimposed lasers aren't used. Individually harmless, but focused on one geometric position the effect could be devastating. Think of it like a weaponised 3D printer.