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Anti-Missile Laser Weapon Successfully Tested
xPertCodert writes "A latest attempt to build a futuristic laser weapon appears to be a success.
Joint Israeli-US developed laser destroyed a large caliber rocket in a latest New Mexico test. The press release also contains links to some interesting video and photo material, related to THEL (Tactical High Energy Lasers) defense systems."
Why do peace-types protest defense systems like this so much?
I've never understood the logic. Defensive weaponry helps reduce the threat of war.
Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
It isn't. Neither is an F-16, does that mean an F-16 is worthless? The weapon isn't meant to counter car bombers, obviously.
This is a tactical battlefield weapon meant for force protection. The article concerns the mobile THEL laser.
The larger, immobile THEL theoretically will be able to shoot down *mortar shells*. It has already been tested to successfully shoot down Katyushka small caliber rockets. These are revolutionary weapons systems.
I wonder how long until these will be deployed domestically, around various government buildings (such as the White House, the US Capitol, or the Pentagon).
It won't. This isn't a "missile defense system" per se, it is a tactical battefield weapon designed for force protection. To be used to defend troops and installations against short range tactical weapons like rockets, mortars, cruise missiles, etc. Not of much use in the continental US.
However, these lasers, and especially the larger, immobile THEL version, are perfect for Israel. Israeli communities and the IDF are constantly being harrassed by hit and run Katushka rocket, mortar, and guided missile threats from HAMAS and other Pal terrorists in the Territories, and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Couldn't you just coat or plate the missles with laser quality mirroring to get past the laser defense?
) Human Kind Vs Human Creation
) It'd be interesting to see how many humans would survive to serve us.
This is a tactical defensive weapon for use on a battlefield, not strategic defense. This is a mobile system meant to protect against small rockets like Katyusha class weapons. To understand why Israel is involved, you only have to look at the map on this page.
They would also be useful in defending targets against rocket attacks like the ones that have occurred in Iraq.the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
The coolest thing about a laser weapon, IMHO, is not the power or range or even its technology..it's the accuracy.
Aiming is the same as hitting with an energy weapon in most scenarios, the lightspeed lag only becoming a factor at high speed/long range, light an orbital target. Even then, a computer-aided targeting system should be able to compensate.
Imagine if such a weapon system were mounted in a vehicle (I think I read something about a prototype of a different laser in a 737) where just having the target in the crosshairs is enough to guarantee its destruction. Gives a new perspective to sniping. Should also reduce civilian casualties.
Thats like saying that because a handgun cant be effectively used against airborne targets, its useless.
You need different defense systems for different offensive systems.
This is for use againt missiles, mortar shells, and the like.
When will the US learn that trying to remove the "mutual" from mutually assured destruction will earn the hostility of any number of military powers the world over?
You are being very inconsistent in your statement.
The other guys are 'hostile', but it's the US's fault. hmmmm.
As to the MAD part, MAD is presently kind of irrelvant. US, Britain, France, & Russia have nukes and the long range, accurate delivery systems. And currently, we are all more or less friendly. and building down the nuke inventories.
Having a nuke, say Pakistan or Israel, is far different from being able to hit a particular spot on the globe with it.
I'm glad I live in a country that's not run by a power mad dictator with a hard-on for World War III.
too bad development on this was started long before Bush became president. Kind of blows a hole in your 'power mad dictator' theory.
So picture this... Ground forces are stationed outside a small city (to protect the civilians). An incoming missile is detected and they shoot it down as it approaches with the laser. Unfortunately, the missile was a delivery system for chem/bio material and they just caused it to be release in the air above a populated city.
That'll make a good press release! But at least the troops were safe.
Come play Moral Decay!
Not so much for a ground based laser, it just keeps going and picks off Hubble, or the ISS or (God No!) Fox. But mounted to an aircraft, if it either misses or punches right through the target object, anything within range before the beam hits it's dispersion threshhold could be toast. Homes, office buildings, people spontaneously combusting, yada yada... You get the idea. The tinfoil hat just don't cut it anymore I guess. Eep. jm2c
How does a hiking boot protect your hands?
How does your car bumper prevent a flat tire from a nail?
To put it another way, you are a fucking dumbass.
there is a small flaw with the idea of a missle defense system: The laser is pretty much useless against any attack that uses "dummy" missles (and any one that can build an active missle can build dummies). During most of the US govt's tests the "active" missle was lit up a bit more then the dead missles. Which of course helps the computer decide which missle to take down. It's a decent idea, but it's not feasable just yet.
Arabs don't want to nuke Israel because they want to actually be able to live there after they push the Jews into the water (go read the "Palestinian Covenant," which is basically the PA's manifesto)
...I see Bush on TV...
...addressing the nation...
lasers....
satellites...
Oh wait, my bad. That was Reagan! Or was it?
Why can't all fpga/microcontroller manufacturers just release free optimizing compilers???
I wonder if the missile used in this test had a finishing that easily absorbs the laser energy. If it would be made of a highly reflective material, almost all energy would be reflected, and it would not be affected.
Existing THEL is about six buildings, and that is not quite a mobile platform.
THEL description
Mobile THEL prototype is not close yet (2007 optimists telling ) and will take about three trucks. Looks like existing THEL could be useful only for static defence positions in Isreal and South Korea.
Has the success of this test been verified by any third parties? The US Military tends to declare every test a success, regardless of the actual results. Sometimes the tests are rigged to create an illusion of success and other times they just simply lie.
Just because you disagree with me does not make it flamebait or a troll you retards. I hope you're meta-modded appropriately.
Your hybrid is not saving the environment. Its purpose is to make you feel good about buying something.
I thought slashdot was full of nerds? What kind of nerds don't understand simple physics?
These lasers emit energy in the megawatt region. A mirror takes photons - absorbs them - and then reemits them. There aren't many mirrors that can absorb 10 million watts of energy.
In fact, that very problem is what makes laser weaponry so damn expensive and difficult to do. They need very heavy, exotic and expensive mirror systems to focus and aim the laser energy without being destroyed by the laser themselves. You can't just go down to home depot and buy a big mirror. You can't just coat a missile in some silly bike reflectors or shiny foil.
Even if you were to somehow invent a reflective coating that could handle megawatts of energy - and still be light enough to just paint on a missile - you'd have to deal with the coating becoming marred in flight, as anything the laser comes in contact with (ie, birdshit or what have you) its going to superheat to thousands of degrees and burn right through and destroy the missile.
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Meagre resources? You mean the entire Arab world and their sympathetic allies in Europe? Yes, two continents is pretty meagre vs. a super power like Israel.
Or were you talking about the Israelis having meagre resources as the only democracy in the Middle East surrounded by hostile states intent on her complete destruction, only held at bay by fear of nuclear annhiliation?
I was thinking about the retroreflector a bit, and then I suddenly realised you could also put it on the laser installation and personell. That should be good enough to rereflect away any laser light bounced back to the laser and personell. Thus making the entire scheme useless in killing a laser system.
The laser's still bright enough to kill the missile with or without the retroreflective coating (reflection isn't perfect). That means it's bright enough to harm itself, with or without a reflective or retroreflective coating on the installation.
Putting a reflective or retroreflective coating on the laser installation turns out to have other drawbacks too, though it's probably still tolerable if your laser is in an area you control.
While I agree that the speed of processing is not a issue I do see a problem. Do you know what radar does to the body? I worked with a Navy officer that has medical exams every 3 months because he walked into a crain way where they where testing a radar and his lower half was basically zapped by the radar. Now you would have to also work out how to sheild your fellow soldiers from your scanning. This is the bigger hurdle that I see.