Laser weapon successfully tested

[Mr. Mysterious]

Speaking of the JSF, I thought that there was some form of laser being built into it?

 

[benEzra]

Probably a laser target designator.

 

[simon]

That, plus the high cooling demand, is what makes it a three-tractor-trailer type of rig right now.

Thats exactly what it is...Two trailers of fuel and the other with the large gimble with the laser.I was slightly involved with the early logistics on the THEL program..

 

[rich2u]

I'm surprised that this is big news that they shot down a rocket. They have already used it to shoot down artillery shells. That would have to be a hell of a lot harder to track, target & hit than a rocket wouldn't it?

 

[MeekandMild]

any armor that is proof against a depleted-uranium long-rod penetrator traveling at Mach 5 is going to laugh at a light beam, even one in the megawatt class.

Ben, I don't really care about armor nor military devices. What I care is Civilian Class Eyeballs, Mark-I. I used to fly with USAF nimrods. I know how often things go awry and I don't want any joker 50 miles away missing the target and zapping me while I'm out on the tractor.

 

[benEzra]

MeekandMild,

Good point. I think the water vapor in the denser lower atmosphere helps attenuate specular reflections at long slant distances, so the main eye danger would be to troops in-theater (who would probably be issued with infrared-opaque glasses). One reason they're going through all the trouble to stick the Airborne Laser on a 747 is to get the beam source up into the stratosphere where water vapor attenuation is less of a problem, allowing the laser to shoot things down hundreds of miles away. Since THEL is more of a point-defense-type system, propagation range is less of an issue.