Raytheon's Ship-Mounted Laser Weapon Incinerates a UAV in Flight
50 replies, posted
[release] [B]A Rendering of Raytheon's Laser Weapon System:[/B] A Raytheon-U.S. Navy team is working to add a solid-state laser to the Phalanx Close-in Weapon System. Raytheon.
[img]http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/20100719100042ENPRNPRN-RAYTHEON-COMPANY-WEAPON-SYSTEM-1y-1279533642MR.jpg[/img]
Raytheon revealed its next-gen directed energy weapon at the Farnborough Air Show today, releasing video showing its Laser Weapons System (LaWS) -- a six-laser weapon that focuses on a single target -- engaging and then destroying an unmanned aerial vehicle from the deck of a Navy vessel at sea.
The tests, conducted in May and June, show the LaWS illuminating and then heating the underside of a drone aircraft shortly before it goes up in flames and loses trajectory, plummeting into the ocean below. Guided by Raytheon's Laser Close-in Weapon System (CIWS), a sensor suite that locks onto and guides the energy weapon, LaWS shot down three similar drones during the tests, which mark the first time a solid-state laser has shot down an aircraft on the wing over open seas.
There are three significant parts to this story. First, it's important to note that LaWS is a solid-state laser rather than a chemical laser, which means it's not quite so hazardous to handle and requires less energy to use. It's also smaller, which makes it a lot more feasible to pack onto a naval vessel. Second, solid-state lasers are generally weaker than chemical lasers, and that problem is compounded by the moist air in ocean climates, as that moisture can absorb laser energy and weaken the beam. So proving this solid-state technology can work at sufficient strengths over the ocean is a serious milestone.
But most importantly, Raytheon demonstrated that a laser integrated into the Navy's Phalanx anti-missile defense system -- a weapons system already mounted on many naval vessels -- can hit a moving target from the deck of a ship, which itself is moving and rolling along with the ocean. That's pretty sharp shooting, and it could arm U.S. seamen with a greatly enhanced last line of defense during aerial and ballistic missile warfare at sea.
Of course, what works on a moving naval platform also works from stationary, land-based positions, and Raytheon is also looking to mount the system on trailers much as Boeing has done with its Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated experiments (MATRIX). That system, along with some of Boeing's other directed energy systems, shot down several UAVs last year. But if Raytheon can do it in a smaller, less energy-intensive package the military might find that more compact solid-state lasers are the future.
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Looks scifi as hell.
The scientists must be beaming with success after developing this.
It looks massive
I want one.
Next thing you know, they'll be making hand held versions like in Star Trek.
[QUOTE=Glaber;23677151]Next thing you know, they'll be making hand held versions like in Star Trek.[/QUOTE]
No chance. These are still really shit compared to projectile weapons and the only reason they are used is because it takes way less travel time, an important factor in shooting down a missile moving faster than most bullets.
I hope it has that evil humming sound and then a thunderous crack once it is activated.
Install this to a plane, and you're safe.
[img]http://www.bosch-do-it.at/mam/bosch-pt-centralpool/diy/houseofbosch/projects/spiegel_00_vs19422.jpeg[/img]
Why does this feel a heap like propoganda?
The fact that it's an artist's rendition, and the fact that the article makes it sound much more powerful than it actually is kinda gets to me.
[QUOTE=DrLuke;23677902]Install this to a plane, and you're safe.
[IMG]http://www.bosch-do-it.at/mam/bosch-pt-centralpool/diy/houseofbosch/projects/spiegel_00_vs19422.jpeg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Laser still makes contact with the mirror and will thus still burn through it. Not really anything you can do to fight lasers other than a really strong, thick metal.
Use a [b]REALLY THICK[/b] mirror then.
Does anyone know if you can see the laser when it's fired? Is it a giant red streak through the sky, or is it just a clear heatwave?
[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;23678403]Does anyone know if you can see the laser when it's fired? Is it a giant red streak through the sky, or is it just a clear heatwave?[/QUOTE]
Look into the barrel and tell us.
[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;23678403]Does anyone know if you can see the laser when it's fired? Is it a giant red streak through the sky, or is it just a clear heatwave?[/QUOTE]
im no expert but a strong enough laser would turn the air it passes through to plasma, like lightning does, so maybe.
Pretty certain it's kind of a purple-ish glow near the laser itself rather than a thick beam... I saw a video of it once on TV.
Isn't if a missiles spinning the laser won't do shit to it?
this gives me a huge nerd boner
OP's problably the only good "gimmick" on this site, pherhaps a bot even. Hopefully, the moderators can see past that, because even though this is late, it's still very informative and interesting.
I think they need to focus more on railguns, that's where the power is at. That or some sort of weapon that uses lightning, though that would depend on the weather.
[editline]03:42AM[/editline]
Also if op is a bot, I wouldent mind popular science bot posting some articles, seems interesting enough.
[QUOTE=Valon Kyre;23679349]I think they need to focus more on railguns, that's where the power is at. That or some sort of weapon that uses lightning, though that would depend on the weather.
[/QUOTE]
I'm not so sure about that, if we step too far into weapon development, sooner or later, we'll come across something we can't handle.
One of the reasons to why the nazis did so well was due to their equipment being almost abit post-modern at the time.
[QUOTE=Valon Kyre;23679349]I think they need to focus more on railguns, that's where the power is at. That or some sort of weapon that uses lightning, though that would depend on the weather.
[editline]03:42AM[/editline]
Also if op is a bot, I wouldent mind popular science bot posting some articles, seems interesting enough.[/QUOTE]
Using electricity as a weapon on a ship made of metal, surrounded by water, trying to shoot something down several miles away. Gee I can't imagine what would go wrong.
looks like something out of James Bond...
[QUOTE=Oman;23679627]looks like something out of James Bond...[/QUOTE]
They aren't aiming it at his crotch though. :what:
[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;23679533]Using electricity as a weapon on a ship made of metal, surrounded by water, trying to shoot something down several miles away. Gee I can't imagine what would go wrong.[/QUOTE]
Because ships totally run on steam.
[QUOTE=Devodiere;23677191]an important factor in shooting down a missile moving faster than most bullets.[/QUOTE]
They have missiles that travel faster than bullets?
[editline]06:51AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=DireAvenger;23677972]Why does this feel a heap like propoganda?
The fact that it's an artist's rendition, and the fact that the article makes it sound much more powerful than it actually is kinda gets to me.[/QUOTE]
Reposting a video from OvB's link:
[media]http://youtube.com/watch?v=BtvCbX3Ffw8[/media]
It starts with a 3D render, but it eventually shows actual footage.
[QUOTE=InvisibleTed;23680743]They have missiles that travel faster than bullets?
[/QUOTE]
An AIM-9 Air to Air missile travels at roughly mach 2.5 (850 Meters per second).
A 7.62 NATO round travels at 2,600 feet per second. (790 meters per second).
So yeah, there are missiles which travel faster than bullets.
Though note that ANTI-SHIP missiles are going to be traveling considerably slower. Anti-ship missiles are massive compared to other missiles and can't quite achieve the same blinding speed.
The AGM-84 Harpoon anti ship missile travels only at roughly 260 m/s. Which is roughly on par with a .45 ACP pistol round in terms of speed.
I love capitalism.
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