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Laser Cannons Coming to an F-16 Near You

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the friggin-lasers dept.

dxprog writes "Reuters is reporting that the US Pentagon is designing a laser cannon that's small enough to fit onto a fighter jet yet powerful enough to knock out a missile. "The High Energy Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), being designed by the Pentagon's central research and development agency, will weigh just 750 kg (1,650 lb) and measures the size of a large fridge." Now all we need to do is make fighter jets space worthy for that true Star Wars feel."

5 of 757 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I thought I would never see this day by ackthpt · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    OK, only 150kW planned, should be ready by 2007, but can shoot down missiles. There was a time I thought the Homeworld defense fighter was the most unrealistic thing devised. Maybe not.

    So did I.

    The way things are going, despite assurances from the Whitehouse that they don't agree with him one bit, it'll be piloted by Pat Robertson.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. OTOH by geekoid · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    If Europe would pay back the US for are protection, then we could diverta Lot of tax payer money into other things.

    Do you think the stability in Europe happened to coinicide with a large non-european force baby sitting everybody? europe used to be as bad as the middle east.

    As to your question, a powerfull laser could also make air warfare obsolete.
    A lot of money spent on 'destrustion' is actualy saving lives because it is incredibly more accurate then technology used 60 years ago.

    Think, then talk.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  3. Re:I hope not. Here is why. by JLF65 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    We put those people into the military so they'd kill people in other countries rather than back home.

  4. Re:Forbidden? by forkazoo · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    And yet, for some reason, I am modded higher than you... Mods must be on crack when my random incorrect talking-out-my-ass gets higher mods than your correction which is supported with external information.

    Oh well, I'm sorry.

  5. This is why America is great by suman28 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This should be the sole reason to love America. The scientists and great minds come together and solve a problem. That is why America will always be ahead of other countries technologically.