US military almost ready to start using lasers as weapons.

digitalwanderer · Oct 30, 2002, 03:12 PM

And it's about bloody time too I might add, I've been waiting for a decent 100Kw solid-state laser that I could mount on a small turret on the Altima to help relieve my traffic frustrations for an awful long time now....

You can read about it here, I ripped the link off from /. this morning.

kinetic · Oct 30, 2002, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by digitalwanderer
And it's about bloody time too I might add, I've been waiting for a decent 100Kw solid-state laser that I could mount on a small turret on the Altima to help relieve my traffic frustrations for an awful long time now....

Lol! Lets hope they're more accurate than the other 'smart' weapons!

JavaFox · Oct 30, 2002, 05:53 PM

Dig, you have an Altima? Sweet.

Quote:

Why don't they make the whole plane out of that black box stuff?

If they did, everbody in the plane would die on impact, period.

Ryoko · Oct 30, 2002, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JavaFox
If they did, everbody in the plane would die on impact, period.

yeah but at least the plane would be ok

digitalwanderer · Oct 30, 2002, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JavaFox
Dig, you have an Altima? Sweet.

Yeah, a charcoal grey 93 SE...which would be a whole lot sweeter if it was starting right now.

(Problems with the ignition switch are hosing my whole electrical system!) I'm seriously thinking of just charging up the battery and trading it in at the dealer on a new Maxima, they're looking REAL sweet to me lately.

(Our other vehicle is a silver 98 Pathfinder SE. GREAT truck, but lousy gas mileage.)

Oh, all vehicles are (and will continue to be!) manual transmissions. Both me and the wife prefer stick. (Did I ever mention that I got the greatest/bestest/coolest wife in the world? I really do!

)

FuNsTeR · Oct 30, 2002, 07:25 PM

i think someone's been watching to many star trek/battlestar Galactica films

JavaFox · Oct 30, 2002, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FuNsTeR1970
i think someone's been watching to many star trek/battlestar Galactica films

Que`? I think somebody doesn't know their Nissan cars.

JavaFox · Oct 30, 2002, 10:11 PM

Speaking of which, why are all your cars Nissans, DW?

DallasStar · Oct 30, 2002, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JavaFox
Que`? I think somebody doesn't know their Nissan cars.

digitalwanderer · Oct 30, 2002, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JavaFox
Speaking of which, why are all your cars Nissans, DW?

No real reason. The wife had the Altima when I met her, when we went looking for an SUV we thought they all sort of sucked until we saw the Pathfinder & it was sort of agape.

(Would you believe most SUVs don't have a manuel transmission option?!?)

Nissan has been kind to me, I've loved all me Nissan vehicles. They get first shot at my purchasing dollars just due to happy first ownership.

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Oct 30, 2002, 11:46 PM

(off topic) i want a an RX-8 to damn there only realesed in Japan

Matth · Oct 31, 2002, 05:08 PM

I would have expected a focused Microwave beam to be more promising.

PS. I can't understand why anyone would ever choose a manual gearbox - current automatics work VERY well.
I did try a CVT automatic once, the supposed answer to some of the percieived problems of "conventional" automatics - UGH! - it was HORRIBLE ... unless they can fix the initial take-up problem (if you're gentle, take up point is uncertain. and if you are less than gentle, it comes in with a bump), then I'll stick with the fluid wizardry of the torque converter every time.

kinetic · Nov 7, 2002, 08:26 AM

Latest development.

Artillery shell no match for powerful laser
Defensive capabilities open up with new laser

WASHINGTON - The United States Army used a high-energy laser to shoot down an artillery shell in mid-flight in a defence industry breakthrough, the army and the manufacturer said.

The army and TRW Inc, which developed the weapon, said in a joint statement that the laser tracked, locked onto and fired a burst of concentrated light-energy photons at the speeding shell over the White Sands test range in New Mexico on Tuesday.

'Seconds later, at a point well short of its intended destination, the projectile was destroyed,' said the army's Space and Missile Defence Command.

The Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) is being developed by TRW for both the US army and the Israeli Defence Ministry.

Lasers have been used in past tests at the range to shoot down slower Katyusha rockets similar to those fired at Israel by militant guerilla groups in Lebanon.

'This latest test shifts the paradigm for defensive capabilities,' said army Lieutenant-General Joseph Cosumano, head of the Missile Defence Command.

'We've shown that even an artillery projectile hurtling through the air at supersonic speed is no match for a laser.'

The laser was fired from a static test-bed in a carefully-controlled test, but TRW officials said that they looked forward to producing a truly- mobile version as the programme progressed.

Tuesday's test - the first time a laser had shot down an artillery shell - was part of a new series to determine MTHEL requirements and demonstrate the system's capabilities against a wide range of airborne targets.

In earlier tests in 2000 and last year, the test-bed focused on the threat of artillery rockets and shot down 25 Katyushas fired singly and in salvos.

The US military has shot down dummy in- tercontinental missile warheads in tests both inside and outside the atmosphere using projectile weapons, and is also examining the possible use of long-range lasers to burn up such warheads in flight. --Reuters

Oct 30, 2002, 03:12 PM	#1
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,619 Rep Power: 0	US military almost ready to start using lasers as weapons. And it's about bloody time too I might add, I've been waiting for a decent 100Kw solid-state laser that I could mount on a small turret on the Altima to help relieve my traffic frustrations for an awful long time now.... You can read about it here, I ripped the link off from /. this morning. __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

Oct 30, 2002, 07:25 PM	#6
FuNsTeR Caledonian and Proud Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Darkest Ayrshire Posts: 1,305 Rep Power: 88 System Specs	i think someone's been watching to many star trek/battlestar Galactica films __________________ "They say when you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear satanic messages ..... but that's nothing, if you play it forward it will install Windows"

Oct 31, 2002, 05:08 PM	#12
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	I would have expected a focused Microwave beam to be more promising. PS. I can't understand why anyone would ever choose a manual gearbox - current automatics work VERY well. I did try a CVT automatic once, the supposed answer to some of the percieived problems of "conventional" automatics - UGH! - it was HORRIBLE ... unless they can fix the initial take-up problem (if you're gentle, take up point is uncertain. and if you are less than gentle, it comes in with a bump), then I'll stick with the fluid wizardry of the torque converter every time. __________________ Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead Now Mary takes her lamb to school, Between two crusts of bread

Oct 30, 2002, 10:11 PM	#8
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	Speaking of which, why are all your cars Nissans, DW?

Oct 30, 2002, 11:46 PM	#11
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	(off topic) i want a an RX-8 to damn there only realesed in Japan

Nov 7, 2002, 08:26 AM	#13
kinetic DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Manchester England Posts: 2,559 Rep Power: 0	Latest development. Artillery shell no match for powerful laser Defensive capabilities open up with new laser WASHINGTON - The United States Army used a high-energy laser to shoot down an artillery shell in mid-flight in a defence industry breakthrough, the army and the manufacturer said. The army and TRW Inc, which developed the weapon, said in a joint statement that the laser tracked, locked onto and fired a burst of concentrated light-energy photons at the speeding shell over the White Sands test range in New Mexico on Tuesday. 'Seconds later, at a point well short of its intended destination, the projectile was destroyed,' said the army's Space and Missile Defence Command. The Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) is being developed by TRW for both the US army and the Israeli Defence Ministry. Lasers have been used in past tests at the range to shoot down slower Katyusha rockets similar to those fired at Israel by militant guerilla groups in Lebanon. 'This latest test shifts the paradigm for defensive capabilities,' said army Lieutenant-General Joseph Cosumano, head of the Missile Defence Command. 'We've shown that even an artillery projectile hurtling through the air at supersonic speed is no match for a laser.' The laser was fired from a static test-bed in a carefully-controlled test, but TRW officials said that they looked forward to producing a truly- mobile version as the programme progressed. Tuesday's test - the first time a laser had shot down an artillery shell - was part of a new series to determine MTHEL requirements and demonstrate the system's capabilities against a wide range of airborne targets. In earlier tests in 2000 and last year, the test-bed focused on the threat of artillery rockets and shot down 25 Katyushas fired singly and in salvos. The US military has shot down dummy in- tercontinental missile warheads in tests both inside and outside the atmosphere using projectile weapons, and is also examining the possible use of long-range lasers to burn up such warheads in flight. --Reuters