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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."

4 of 757 comments (clear)

  1. Re:4 out of 5 swinging dicks recommend... by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 0, Troll
    "High energy lasers have very promising defensive purposes, such as being able to shoot down/burn up mortar and artilery fire as well as RPGs. You know, many of the things that the underdogs like to use in asymetric warfare? Being able to mount these things onto a fighter is a good step towards getting these things on the ground and in the field. "

    While you're at it, Mr. Peabody, would you please invent something to detect IEDs on the road. What? You're a little busy dicking with lasers? Sorry if I bothered you...

  2. Re:Wonderful! by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 0, Troll

    Hmmm...how many minutes until this comment gets marked as a troll? Mine did... http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=159996 &cid=13393029

  3. God damned militarization of everything by said_captain_said_wo · · Score: 0, Troll

    Lasers are for manufacturing, bouncing light off the moon, femtosecondizing some proteins folding, AND NOTHING ELSE.

  4. Gotta love the Yank's WOMD by vandan · · Score: 0, Troll

    The Yanks must be stopped. They are stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. But what's worse, they hate our 'way of life'. Also remember that they are ruled by an evil dictator who went against the people's will and stole the 2000 elections with the help of his cronies in the supreme court. The world would be a better place without him.

    Keep stockpiling, Yanks. God knows, that's what the world needs: more weapons of mass destruction. Oh yeah, they're only for defense . How could I be so anti-American to suggest that these will in fact be used as weapons of mass destruction. They are of course weapons of love and understanding, and will only be used to save the cute white bunnies and the church picnic from the evil Arab masses and their hate, and their WOMD, and their ... ...