New Laser from DARPA

[Phlegm]

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- A U.S. Pentagon invention could make air combat resemble a battle scene from the movie 'Star Wars' with a laser so small it can fit on a fighter jet, yet powerful enough to knock down an enemy missile in flight.

The High Energy Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), being designed by the Pentagon's central research and development agency, will weigh just 750 kg (1,650 lb) and measures the size of a large fridge.

To date, such lasers have been so bulky because of the need for huge cooling systems to stop them overheating, that they had to be fitted to large aircraft such as jumbo jets, New Scientist magazine reported on Wednesday.

But the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency reckons it has solved the problem by merging liquid and solid state lasers to cut the size and weight by "an order of magnitude", according to its Web site.

Liquid lasers can fire a continuous beam but need large cooling systems, while solid state laser beams are more intense but have to be fired in pulses to stop them overheating.

"We've combined the high energy density of the solid state laser with the thermal management of the liquid laser," New Scientist quoted project manager Don Woodbury as saying.

Dubbed the "HEL weapon" by its developers, a prototype capable of firing a mild one kilowatt (kW) beam has already been produced and there are plans to build a stronger 15-kW version by the end of the year.

If everything goes according to plan, an even more powerful weapon producing a 150-kW beam and capable of knocking down a missile will be ready by 2007 for fitting onto aircraft.

[ClakarEQ]

Wow, that is going to be pretty slick.

I wonder if it requires sustained contact or if it is like a just hit it once and knock it out of the sky.

[Langston]

It likely superheats the impacted spot nearly instantly causing it to either combust or deform enough that it's no longer flight-worthy. Sustained laser bursts would cause the overheating of the laser assembly and take the weapon (and it's vehicle) out of the sky instead.

[Arlos]

Wonder if this will be viable to develop as an anti-aircraft weapon as well.

-Arlos

[Langston]

I can't see why we would NOT use it against other aircraft... except that most missiles move on paths whereas a piloted plane could make sudden changes in trajectory or speed... but lasers are moving at the speed of light - you can't "dodge" it once it's shot... but you could cause the computer to constantly recalculate the shot over and over, I suppose.

Frankly, I would think the only thing stopping it would be the cost factors - and maybe the impact to the mobility of the plane carrying it due to having a refrigerator strapped underneath it making it an easy target to take down with long distance air-to-air missiles?

Pretty soon it's going to be X-Wings vs. Tie Fighters in the sky... except that they'll be computer controlled drones, most likely.

[xaoshaen]

Sounds like it still requires sustained contact with a target, so no real AA utility yet. The mass shouldn't be an issue, as we already have combat-capable aircraft with internal bays that carry a heftier payload.

[Captain Insano]

I hope they develop an anti-arabwomen and children version and set that shit on SEEK AND DESTROY.

[ClakarEQ]

I was watching the military channel the other day. They were re-inacting an event that took place in afgan.

The short of it was the good guys (us) were too close to a fortified bad guy entrenchment. The chopper was shot down so the good guys were sort of screwed. After a bunch of firefighting the good guys were able to call in air support but the jets for whatever the reason couldn't get a "perfect" shot off to kill the bad guys but NOT the good guys (75 yards between the good vs bad).

One of those unmaned CIA du-dads came in like 2 hours later and knocked it out first shot. It had something to do with the speed of the unmanned craft vs the jet and it being unmanned vs manned (1 pilot told his wing to not make the shot as he didn't want him living with the possible and likely death of a friendly even if they did kill the bad guys).

Point is this could make for some serious non-manned global war-far where troops on the ground are near non-existant. Nothing takes the place of soldiers on the ground I know but this could be a HUGE life saver.

[10sun]

Point is this could make for some serious non-manned global war-far where troops on the ground are near non-existant. Nothing takes the place of soldiers on the ground I know but this could be a HUGE life saver.

What happens when an unmanned weapon kills a friendly?

Who do we blame then?

[labbats]

The unmanned plane is just flown by a pilot with a joystick in a trailer somewhere. It's not like it's Johnny 5 dude.

[10sun]

I know, but who do we blame?

As a culture we have to blame someone.

[ClakarEQ]

Not sure, I guess the guy behind the joystick.

I wonder if the laster technology allows for cone shapped beams.

Lets say a focus beem could melt a rocket in 1 second. Instead of TNT, could a cone shapped beam "taost" folks within it's radius?

I see this laser tech stuff really opening some doors. Kind of like the first atomic bombs opened up some BIG doors.

[xaoshaen]

Not sure, I guess the guy behind the joystick.

I wonder if the laster technology allows for cone shapped beams.

Lets say a focus beem could melt a rocket in 1 second. Instead of TNT, could a cone shapped beam "taost" folks within it's radius?

I see this laser tech stuff really opening some doors. Kind of like the first atomic bombs opened up some BIG doors.

Eh, we already have portable microwave weaponry. It's currently being touted as a nonlethal deterrent, but that's just a matter of intensity.

[Themosticles]

Real Genius...

[labbats]

Why were you sitting there naked with a bowl of Jell-o?

[kaharthemad]

BTW...can it cook a steak Medium Rare?

[brinstar]

The High Energy Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS)

they should call it the High Energy Laser Nasty Area Defense System so they could spell it HELLNADS

[mofish]

Yeah cause I think in revelations lasers shoot from satan's balls true story

[Minrott]

wtf when did I ever say that shit?

[mofish]

hey minrott icebane since youre trolling this thread i just want to tell you what a cool motherfucker you were in game. one of my first characters ever, back in 2000, was a barb warrior, you saw me as you ran through everfrost and handed me a bunch of uh, cant remember now, anyway it was newbie plate gear, something iron.

Anyway I always remembered that. Think you were the first 50th level character I ever talked to.

[Minrott]

haha that's cool man. I used to do that from time to time. Nice to know people actually appreciated it.


But kahar you gotta change your sig man.

[Minrott]

Nevermind Kahar. lol, I never saw that other thread till now.

[vonkaar]

Quick note, Minrott was a bastard in game. He was always mean to me and treated me meanly with mean intentions.

Also...

I won't be impressed by these lasers until I see one mounted onto the head of a frickin shark.

[Narrock]

Minrott was a dickenheimer in-game.

[10sun]

I don't remember Minrott from EQ ><