May 26, 2015
Laser Progress
Via Next Big Future comes an interesting article on U.S. Air Force plans to field 100+KW laser cannons on a fighter by 2022.
What can 100-plus kilowatts kill? Hardy was cagey about specific targets, but a study from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments suggests that it could destroy enemy cruise missiles, drones, and even manned aircraft at significant ranges."A 150-200 kW laser could be capable against surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles,†said CSBA’s Mark Gunzinger...
One of the Brickmuppet's Crack Team of Science Babes, is here with an overview of what all this means.
"The fellow doing the analysis of the LASER CANNON is named GUNZINGER! Anime is becoming real!"
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
04:06 PM
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1
You seem to have a large number of different "Science Babes" on your staff. How do afford to keep them all on retainer?
Posted by: Siergen at Tue May 26 16:37:31 2015 (Evmuu)
2
They work for the love of it. Brickmuppet is a stud.
...moving right along...
I don't believe in this as a weapon for a jet, not even a heavy bomber. But it's perfect for the Navy. A Navy destroyer is an ideal platform to mount a weapon this heavy, which requires this much power.
Posted by: Steven Den Beste at Tue May 26 16:52:08 2015 (+rSRq)
3
Electronic warfare and the limits of stealth are waaaay outside my bailiwick, but given the lethality of even current systems, we may rapidly be approaching the point where 'if it flies it dies' and planes are limited to standoff platforms and perhaps utility/liaison work. We may already be there with first world air defense systems like the S-300, Sea Viper, Aegis and Patriot. With lasers and railguns, it might just be a skeet shoot.
So even in the vanishingly unlikely event that Mao (from GJ Club) is right about her analysis, it probably won't be one of the genres that has dogfights. Hopefully it won't have zombies or hopping cyclops umbrellas either.
So even in the vanishingly unlikely event that Mao (from GJ Club) is right about her analysis, it probably won't be one of the genres that has dogfights. Hopefully it won't have zombies or hopping cyclops umbrellas either.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Tue May 26 17:27:29 2015 (ohzj1)
4
1. The Air Force thought of it first. 
2. As the article points out, it's pretty easy to put a power source and mechanism onto a big plane, fly it somewhere literally in the middle of nowhere but air, and test things. You need a little more logistics with a boat.
3. As the article points out, once you know how to put a power source on a plane and then it gets small enough, it will probably be pretty easy to move the power source and mechanism onto a boat.
4. If you don't put it on a fighter but you do put it on a plane, it either has to be a Stealth plane or the fighters are going to come and kill your laser plane before it can do anything.
2. As the article points out, it's pretty easy to put a power source and mechanism onto a big plane, fly it somewhere literally in the middle of nowhere but air, and test things. You need a little more logistics with a boat.
3. As the article points out, once you know how to put a power source on a plane and then it gets small enough, it will probably be pretty easy to move the power source and mechanism onto a boat.
4. If you don't put it on a fighter but you do put it on a plane, it either has to be a Stealth plane or the fighters are going to come and kill your laser plane before it can do anything.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Tue May 26 19:37:38 2015 (ZJVQ5)
5
PS. I've seen the Laser 747 at the air show (on the ground), and some stuff they burned up really good with the laser. I've never seen the Laser Ship. The unit patches are cool.
Posted by: Suburbanbanshee at Tue May 26 19:39:42 2015 (ZJVQ5)
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