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Army Creates a Directed Lightning Bolt Weapon

Sparticus789 writes "Army researchers at Picatinny Labs in New Jersey have developed a prototype weapon which uses a directed lightning bolt to destroy vehicles and unexploded ordinance. The weapon works on the premise that 'A target, an enemy vehicle or even some types of unexploded ordnance, would be a better conductor than the ground it sits on.' Are we one step closer to C&C:Red Alert Tesla coils?"

13 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Oh god I want one! by spokenoise · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is my dream device. I have sat on my bike, in my car and had someone do something so stupid. Now I can fry the snot outa something and nothing left to say it was me!

  2. Darwin Awards by Circlotron · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm wondering who will be first to aim the laser at a storm cloud :-P

  3. Re:it's "Ordnance" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who says they're not going to destroy some legislation with this puppy?

  4. Re:They've been trying this for years by a_hanso · · Score: 4, Funny

    Faraday cage. Check mate.

  5. Re:Resonant fields by qu33ksilver · · Score: 4, Funny

    So do we need Mjolnir for this ?

  6. Re:it's "Ordnance" by Cosgrach · · Score: 4, Funny

    My guess is that they will first go after the Declaration of Independence.

    --
    Why is it that most of the people that I encounter seem to have been shat from the Sphincter of Mediocrity?
  7. Re:it's "Ordnance" by SpzToid · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ordinances can be conducive to a great many things.

    --
    You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
  8. Re:They've been trying this for years by VortexCortex · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lightning Weapon?
    Just stand stand where the weapon previously struck and you're virtually impervious.

  9. Re:Bad summary and old news by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 4, Funny

    What a terrible fucking summary. Also, this has been all over the web for nearly a week.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolaser

    It works by ionizing the air with a UV laser to create a path of lowered resistance for the arc to follow.

    Yes and the headline stinks too, to be in any kind of sync with the usual /. hyperbole it should have been: "Army, inspired by id Soft's DOOM, creates it's own BFG9000!".

    --
    Only to idiots, are orders laws.
    -- Henning von Tresckow
  10. Re:it's "Ordnance" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    It's already dead.

  11. Re:it's "Ordnance" by C0vardeAn0nim0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ordinance = has the potential to cause untold mayhem, destruction and loss of life
    ordnance = just an explosive ammunition

    --
    What ? Me, worry ?
  12. WTF BFG is plasma by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Idiot! The BFG is a plasma weapon. I think you're referring to the lightning gun. Though if you meant to do that in a truly innaccurate /. fashion then you succeeded... but then again so did the original article title and summary so your point is redundant.

  13. Re:lightning to stop cars ? by meta-monkey · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Not in net joules, though. Z-machine does, what, about 10MJ? Strong lightning bolts are measured in GJ."

    Sorry to nitpick, I know you clearly must not be as versed in science as I, but I must inform you that lightning is actually measured in gigawatts, sir. 1.21 of them, to be exact.

    --
    We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.