This be some futuristic shit.

Uzor

Uzor

... A Man For All Seasons
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Uzor
Too lazy to translate from Swedish to English, but scientists in America has successfully mounted an airplane with a laser designed to shoot down missiles in the air. The laser itself has a max distance of several hundred kilometers, and is a so called chemical laser.

A mixture of oxygen and iodine, which creates a gas which fires the laser. The laser has a strength of several megawatt.

The laser is made up of 6 different modules, each which is the size of a car. But never mind that, we're one step closer to having laser guns!
 
I can't wait for the days of pew pew pew.
 
Mirewen said:
...

This cannot end well.
Click to expand...
I'll be no worse than with the guns we already have now, only you'll need batteries instead of bullets.
 
Who cares about that? I want my laser swords.
 
Crazy Euros, Real Genius is a fictional movie.
 
Uzor said:
Too lazy to translate from Swedish to English, but scientists in America has successfully mounted an airplane with a laser designed to shoot down missiles in the air. The laser itself has a max distance of several hundred kilometers, and is a so called chemical laser.

A mixture of oxygen and iodine, which creates a gas which fires the laser. The laser has a strength of several megawatt.

The laser is made up of 6 different modules, each which is the size of a car. But never mind that, we're one step closer to having laser guns!
Click to expand...

The Airborne Laser has been in the works for nearly 5 years now... and has since been canceled by the Obama Administration because it was too expensive and the funding was needed elsewhere.

...I really hope a situation doesn't arise where we would need it, like if N. Korea decided to lob a nuke at Japan or anything.
 
Celvantes said:
The Airborne Laser has been in the works for nearly 5 years now... and has since been canceled by the Obama Administration because it was too expensive and the funding was needed elsewhere.

...I really hope a situation doesn't arise where we would need it, like if N. Korea decided to lob a nuke at Japan or anything.
Click to expand...

I thought the program has been in effect for longer than that, I remember hearing about it when I was still in high school. But I do remember a successful test very recently here, about 1-2 years ago, it was initiated from the ground though not airborne.

You're right, I really don't see a need for it and as many on the defense staff think, it's unnecessary at the moment. Perhaps one day it will be when we're defending the planet, and not just developing ways to defend ourselves (destroy each other).
 
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Celvantes said:
The Airborne Laser has been in the works for nearly 5 years now... and has since been canceled by the Obama Administration because it was too expensive and the funding was needed elsewhere.

...I really hope a situation doesn't arise where we would need it, like if N. Korea decided to lob a nuke at Japan or anything.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but it hasn't been successfully mounted before.

Hell, the technology has existed longer than 5 years through metal burners etc. but it hasn't been as strong as this one, which can reach several hundred km. The first chemical laser was demonstrated 1965. They've been in use for a logn time in the form of metal laser cutters etc.

A less powerful prototype was mounted in 1980, but yeah, that one hasn't actually been put to use, it was only for testing to see if it were possible.
 
Uzor said:
Too lazy to translate from Swedish to English, but scientists in America has successfully mounted an airplane with a laser designed to shoot down missiles in the air. The laser itself has a max distance of several hundred kilometers, and is a so called chemical laser.

A mixture of oxygen and iodine, which creates a gas which fires the laser. The laser has a strength of several megawatt.

The laser is made up of 6 different modules, each which is the size of a car. But never mind that, we're one step closer to having laser guns!
Click to expand...

i think i saw this on the history channel last year.
 
Aye, this is actually the... second or third incarnation of this particular system, but substantially more powerful than the previous version(s).

As systems go, it's mostly a proof-of-concept, though I'm sure they'd be willing to trot it out for combat testing under the right circumstances. So long as they have a backup system in the event that it fails.

Directed energy weapons are going to be little more than large, expensive toys until we can crack the energy storage issue.
 
Light saber! <Can I have it?>
 
Laser beams attached to airplanes?

You know what this means!

 
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