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Mysterious 'Forcefield' Tested on US Tanks
An anonymous reader writes "Not too long ago General Dynamics announced a successful test of their new Trophy Active Defense System (ADS). The Trophy ADS generates something similar to a force field around one half of a vehicle as a direct reaction to incoming fire. From the article: 'The Threat Detection and Warning subsystem consists of several sensors, including flat-panel radars, placed at strategic locations around the protected vehicle, to provide full hemispherical coverage. Once an incoming threat is detected identified and verified, the Countermeasure Assembly is opened, the countermeasure device is positioned in the direction where it can effectively intercept the threat. Then, it is launched automatically into a ballistic trajectory to intercept the incoming threat at a relatively long distance.'"
It's a sad day for Slashdot when something that could be done by a trained bat operating a tennis ball launcher is labeled as "mysterious" and vividly lauded. This is no more a forcefield than a fishing net is a cybernetic bio-containment unit. Another case of wishful PR thinking.
Now, if they had actually trained bats, then we're on to something.
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
Well i would look it up on the Internet. There is bound to be a post on some obscure forum by some guy named "Tank-H4xor" that gives direction on how to exploit a bug in the system by duct-taping a banana on the missile or a fluffy bunny something :)
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I agree somewhat - they're describing a phalanx CIWS for a tank. They'll only be in the clear when they burst a plasma sphere around the vehicle at the moment the projectile intersects with the sphere's location. Till then, they're just matching incoming fire. Maybe we can call this type of system something different, such as a Matched Incoming Line of Fire, or MILF.
Personally, I'd like to have a MILF in my car.
You are checking your backups, aren't you?
That isn't a force field at all! It just shoots you!
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
It's possible--but it would also mean that the license couldn't get recognised as open under the common open source guidelines.
:)
hawk, who intends someday to include the phrase, "This is free software. You may use it for any purpose, including the extermination of endangered species, the violent overthrow of your government, or planning a nuclear attack on Australia."
Warning Label on Tank:
Do not play frisbee, football, or baseball near the talk.
Thank you,
The Management
Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.
And they'd all end with, "Get closer than 10 meters before you fire."
"Ten meters? We're shooting from rooftops and through doorways. We're already working that close."
"Good, then. And keep cranking out those IEDs."
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