US Navy to develop fibre lasers powerful enough to destroy fleeing ground targets

Within a decade the US Navy wants to develop a high-powered laser small enough to fit on a tactical combat aircraft and powerful enough to destroy fleeing ground targets, a senior service scientist said.

According to Michael Deitchman, head of the Air Warfare and Weapons Department at the Office of Naval Research, within 10 years the navy wants to develop a 100 kW fibre laser in a pod, which is able to be hung under tactical aircraft such as F-18E/F Super Hornets. The laser, carried in a composite 1,817 litre external fuel-tank pod on the aircraft's centreline pylon, would weigh about 1,814 kg (4,000 lb) and be able to strike 20 targets in 60 seconds before needing to be recharged.

www.janes.com...

20 targets in 60 seconds. I wonder what its range would be ... not very high i think.

There was a post on this already.
www.abovetopsecret.com...'

The range of a 100KW laser depending on its wave lenght (colour) will be over 10KM, however it will not curve , could be good at blinding snipers with its reflected "splash".

[edit on 7-2-2006 by XL5]

S2,

>>
The laser, carried in a composite 1,817 litre external fuel-tank pod on the aircraft's centreline pylon, would weigh about 1,814 kg (4,000 lb)
>>

Which is yet another pathetic 'can't I play?!' attempt to isolate DEWS to the manned system level of a seriously overweight weapon enclosure. Something I have serious doubts about anyway, given the habit of soft-mount pods and containers to jitter with airframe as well own aeroloads buzz.

>>
And be able to strike 20 targets in 60 seconds before needing to be recharged.
>>

And what would these 'fleeing targets' be, pray tell? Sounds like a system intended to snipe humans. Not MBT. Or indeed /any/ AFV. Probably not even S2A or A2A threats (given the FOV and range qualifiers needed to kill point targets while staying outside counter-engagement ranges).

And who is dumb enough to give the military the ability to lord it over civillian targets when they are /supposed to/ (by definition of laws of land warfare) restrict their fun and games to other uniformed slaughter dogs?

This is getting on very dangerous ground people. You don't want to make warfare 'clean enough' that it can be used for OOTW conditions. Because then it's just a small step to seeing the enemy-as-U.S.. The ones who pay them.

Put another way- You want airborne lasers to replace the keystone cops engagement video by an AC-130 using 25mm to 'chase' an Afghani around a compound while gradually (shrapnel) bleeding him to death with 'near misses'?

FINE.

You first put it on your own airframe with deliberate intent as FOV and tracking index rate to use against other pilots.

Until you want to make yourself vulnerable, don't pretend that you have the right to zap people on the ground who cannot fire back with the same equity. MOST especially when the majority of those you attack are unknown and non-uniformed.


KPl.

Originally posted by XL5
There was a post on this already.
www.abovetopsecret.com...'

The range of a 100KW laser depending on its wave lenght (colour) will be over 10KM, however it will not curve , could be good at blinding snipers with its reflected "splash".

[edit on 7-2-2006 by XL5]

Thank you XL5, for informing him that this has already been done. I didn't even try to use a quote because of the slightly confusing quoting laws that we have now. That myself clearly seems to be the only person to ever have their posts edited by a certain (now reported) mod to the 'correct' format.



[edit on 7-2-2006 by NWguy83]

ive senn this on iother sites it'll be ebtween 10 -20 miles not km stop confusing km with miles it happens to much on very forum i go 2