LASER HUMMER IN IRAQ
- Thread starter Andrew Boulton
- Start date
Beat me to it. I hear they are thiunkng about using it to protect convoys from IEDs, but since they're mostly buried or in cars...
I've been hearing rumors about these soliud-state laser for about five years. Nice to see they're not vaporwear.
This means the Airborn Laser either is or soon will be operational. Explains how we can be patient about North Korea.
I've been hearing rumors about these soliud-state laser for about five years. Nice to see they're not vaporwear.
This means the Airborn Laser either is or soon will be operational. Explains how we can be patient about North Korea.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
"EOD in the Nellis range have used lasers for UXOs for several years now."
I read that as UFOs at first...
I read that as UFOs at first...
The other problem is avoid hitting the gas tank on a plain old car (assuming the LASER penetrating the vehicle's body), and sending some innocent driver to kingdom come.
Movies notwithstanding, gas tanks do not blow up particularly easily.
However, a 10 kW Nd:YAG laser is certainly hazardous for lots of reasons (it would be prone to blinding people, not only directly, but though indirect scatter and reflections), though not obviously more dangerous than simply opening up with a machinegun.
However, a 10 kW Nd:YAG laser is certainly hazardous for lots of reasons (it would be prone to blinding people, not only directly, but though indirect scatter and reflections), though not obviously more dangerous than simply opening up with a machinegun.
Speaking on the subject of RL lasers... Does anyone know if the Neutilus system is still under development? It was a joint US/Israel project to create a truck-portable laser that could shoot down rockets and artillery shells, especially the cheap solid-fuel rockets that the Hizballah liked to use in the Lebanon war (and that the Hammas mimic these days). IIRC, it was also supposed to shoot down helicopters; a later version was designed that could shoot down planes.
BetterThanLife
SOC-14 1K
MIlitary rumors persist of blinding lasers, more likely dazzlers used during Desert Storm. The last I heard the US version was called Saber. Did a google search and viola.
Saber
In all fairness though it appears that the Soviets deployed the first dazzlers, and may even have had the first man portable dazzlers.
The battlefield laser exists. One more step to the Laser Carbine.
Saber
In all fairness though it appears that the Soviets deployed the first dazzlers, and may even have had the first man portable dazzlers.
The battlefield laser exists. One more step to the Laser Carbine.
Quite true, but if I were a terrorist I'd probably rig the explosive near the gas tank for maximum effect. And I think most tanks on most cars are underneath the rear passenger seats (IIRC).
American term for the project is the Mobile Tactical High-Energy Laser (MTHEL)
From a Northrup/Grumman press release:
"REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Aug. 26, 2004 -- The Tactical High Energy Laser, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) for the U.S. Army, shot down multiple mortar rounds Aug. 24, proving that laser weapons could be applied on the battlefield to protect against common threats.
"In tests representative of actual mortar threat scenarios, the THEL testbed destroyed both single mortar rounds and mortar rounds fired in a salvo at White Sands Missile Range, N.M."
And from their website,
"THEL, now renamed the MTHEL Test Bed, has shot down 28 operational, captured katyusha rockets, including salvo shootdowns and a highly successful surprise attack test.
In an unprecedented recent development, the MTHEL Test Bed shot down five our of five artillery shells in successive tests. Government officials who witnessed these tests have called this capability "revolutionary."
...
An MTHEL Concept and Technology Development effort has already begun. With the proper funding and support, MTHEL could produce its first shootdown in 2007"
My understanding is that the test bed is a COIL (Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser) in the 100 KW class about the size of a double-wide mbile home.
The 2007 prototype will fit in an APC. almost certainly using solid-state lasers
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Impressive.
Do I detect a step closer to "Star Wars" working out in the US Military?
This could become scary.
This could become scary.
Fits an APC? impressive! We're really moving closer and closer to TL8!
So you say that the early compact (vehicle or even man portable) would be chemical ones? interesting. I know almost nothing about this kind of lasers, so where is the chemical stored? Would a TL8 laser carbine's backpack be actually a chemical tank?
A chemical laser is essentially a rocket buring exortic chemicals where some of the energy is extracted in a laser beam at right angles to the nozzle.
It is large, hot, and dangerous but it has high power. It is used for demonstrations and tests, but it is not realy portable. The Airborne Laser took up an entire 747, half of which were tanks of chemicals. The THEL (testbed for the MTHEL) is about the size of a double-wide mobile home, say 10m x 20m x 4m high.
But "solid state" lasers (apparently banks of bright LEDs pumping a crystal) are 1/100 the size, more efficient, and don't have a hot, toxic, exhaust.
It is large, hot, and dangerous but it has high power. It is used for demonstrations and tests, but it is not realy portable. The Airborne Laser took up an entire 747, half of which were tanks of chemicals. The THEL (testbed for the MTHEL) is about the size of a double-wide mobile home, say 10m x 20m x 4m high.
But "solid state" lasers (apparently banks of bright LEDs pumping a crystal) are 1/100 the size, more efficient, and don't have a hot, toxic, exhaust.
