Laser Cannons Coming to an F-16 Near You

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."

Comments

It's got to be said.

[Ken Broadfoot]

Imagine a beowolf cluster of these!

--ken

I hope not. Here is why.

[NRAdude]

Consider these pictures (google'd cache) of an Apache helicopter with a shark face painted on it.

I've come across some well-carried video footage
of Apache helicopters shooting at suspected "terrorists" in Iraq. One of those video footages was especially criticized because the helicopter pilot misjudged some Iraqi farmers on a farm truck; of which all of them were killed. In the video, the gunman behind the weapon would receive orders to "hit him" or whatever slang code-speak, and some of the comments from the crew and such upon a successfull hit would be "head shot." I'm not criticizing the matter of men in military service in general, yet down to the core there is a sense of pride. I have no respect for people that speak in such ways when they execute whatever commands; and the same goes for wing-art on their war machination. Such is idle speach, expressions of no value, and are subject to the support of propoganda that can be used against them. Doesn't anyone learn from the dishonerable protests durring the Vietnam and Korean Wars waged by the United States? Surely, even the pilots behind the "black helicopters" that conspiracy nuts are aware to only use the minimum of expressions, and that include black-paint of which no matter of pride or slack advertising of their presence and intentions to draw criticism other than "those God-damn black helicopters" (pun intended).

To bring more topic relevant to the Slashdot article, aftware from Sharks with lasers on their heads; Concerning the funds used to develop laser technologies; There seems to be an endless supply of currency available for which the military complex, even the PENTAGON, can dispose for weapons research. I remember about a year ago that China announced and berthed a new form of warship dubbed as the MISSILE FRIGATE. Yet, I distinctly don't remember China developing such weaponry at the debt of the people at China. But what do I know, when they are entreated and disposed as slaves; Can the same be said of the military complex at the United States, as described by then President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower? The alleged national debt and the public debt is not being criticized enough. I only hope such technology can be developed casually, without such "debt" looming over the heads of the people.

Every decade there is a war the United States is involved with, usually without the United States or CONGRESS declaring war, and the people are never allowed to recover from such debts alleged to them from participating in the subjective war. This surely falls into the financial scope of promisory notes, for which debt is slowly discharged by promissing to pay said debts when there is not enough money to pay such debt at the moment; does this not forecast the future of the people as economic slaves to military technology development? President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, was the last that sought to pay down the debt so far as a positive US $30,000.00, but war is always the excuse to bring the people further in debt. It's bad enough to militarily compete with China, a country where the people outweigh and outnumber Americans ten fold. It takes a lot of "balls" to try to compete with such a larger population technologically; Could this be the reason of DRM, to built an equivalent Great Wall over mastered information, so as to prevent what little technology and information from leaking into competitors?

Lasers--sharks... uhm, yeah. I would've deleted the above, now realizing I am within the Off-Topic classification. Yet, at least I am honest and admit such. Moderate me, yet I am not a troll.