First laser weapon tested in Persian Gulf by U.S. Navy. The name of the ship? U.S.S. 'Ponce'

[Samiam]

[QUOTE=ScottyWired;46689723]If they can compact the system to fit on a truck, imagine the uses as a minesweeper.[/QUOTE]

Not really necessary considering you have things like this

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/M4a4_flail_cfb_borden_1.JPG[/img]

that probably use a whole lot less energy

[spaceghost]

[QUOTE=confinedUser;46687863]that's cool although you could do this at home aswell, just grab enough red (or green) laser pointers cluster them together and make a focal point for them and there you have it. Although i'm sure at some point the mirror would melt not really to sure how to get passed that issue unless you have something that reflects the laser 100% without storing a percentage of the energy that is being produced.[/QUOTE]

Pretty sure it's 200% more complicated than what you're saying and no one besides an expert in how weaponized lasers work would be able to make one that can fucking destroy aircraft or boats up.

[Paul-Simon]

[QUOTE=confinedUser;46687863]that's cool although you could do this at home aswell, just grab enough red (or green) laser pointers cluster them together and make a focal point for them and there you have it. Although i'm sure at some point the mirror would melt not really to sure how to get passed that issue unless you have something that reflects the laser 100% without storing a percentage of the energy that is being produced.[/QUOTE]

Please never talk about lasers again for the next 5 years

[Instant Mix]

[QUOTE=confinedUser;46688831]
Coherent / in phase - [B][I]all the waves are going up and down at the same time[/I][/B]

those make it unique but still share the same damn physics as any other laser[/QUOTE]

I can't take you seriously when you refer to constructive interference as "the wave going up and down at the same time". Technically you've just described destructive interference but w/e

Just because you took high school physics classes does not make you an expert. Making a comparison like "this is just a load of lasers, the physics are the same", is the same as going "oh well a bullet is just like a load of baseballs, the physics are the same". Doesn't mean they're the same thing if the principles they work on are similar, because I can tell you right now, the engineering behind them will be completely different.

[pr00ch]

[QUOTE=Empty_Shadow;46687881]Add that to the list of weapons I really don't want fired at me.

Something about getting instantly burned with shitloads of energy does not appeal to me.[/QUOTE]

I don't know man it does sound pretty hot

[Brochacho]

[QUOTE=TheRealRudy;46688849][IMG_thumb]http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/008/0/3/fallout_laser_rifle_aer9_by_urlag-d71cvp3.jpg[/IMG_thumb]

When?[/QUOTE]

Probably like 10 years

Honestly wouldn't be surprised if that massive turret was handheld in a decade, kinda like old computers being the size of an entire wall and computers now

[Mingebox]

[QUOTE=Matthew0505;46690164]If reflective armor ever became an issue they could always switch to a variable wavelength type like a free electron laser.

[/QUOTE]
Set phasers to rotating frequency modulation.

[LoneWolf_Recon]

[QUOTE=Matthew0505;46690242][url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-electron_laser[/url]

It's real, and since it has a variable wavelength you just have to change it to one that the armor doesn't reflect well.[/QUOTE]

FELs are generally better lasers due to the wavelength being independent of the lasing medium plus the fact that efficiency tend to be higher than gas/crystal lasers.

[Brobattington]

I'm just waiting for the day scientists learn how to explode light.

[proboardslol]

It's cool, but I like to see advancements in technology OTHER than weapons. Like communications

[LoneWolf_Recon]

[QUOTE=proboardslol;46691176]It's cool, but I like to see advancements in technology OTHER than weapons. Like communications[/QUOTE]

Uni of Texas has you covered, we'll soon have [URL="http://www.utexas.edu/news/2014/11/10/radio-wave-device-alu/"]true full duplex wireless communications[/URL] for small devices [I]very[/I] soon.

[draugur]

[QUOTE=confinedUser;46687986]well sure again they have access to resource a normal person doesn't but what i was implying was that you could do it on a smaller scale at home with a normal laser by increasing it's power it essentially does the same shit they both burn but one does it better than the other.

seriously a regular 1 mW laser pointer bought at the store operates, at 5 C - 35 C, a fiber laser at 1mW runs at 750 C[/QUOTE] Stop while the hole is still shallow enough for you to see the sun.

[The Janitor]

Confineduser. What is your point?

It really just seems like you have a wiki level knowledge of lasers at the moment. If it's so simple why didn't you just tell the military how to build it years ago?

[AntonioR]

[QUOTE=The Janitor;46691594]Confineduser. What is your point?

It really just seems like you have a wiki level knowledge of lasers at the moment. If it's so simple why didn't you just tell the military how to build it years ago?[/QUOTE]

His point is probably "It's just a powerful laser and not a plasma gun or something very revolutionary."

[Zotobom]

Laser crudader, ready for engagement

[Timebomb575]

[QUOTE=proboardslol;46691176]It's cool, but I like to see advancements in technology OTHER than weapons. Like communications[/QUOTE]

dont worry bro, lasers got your communications shit covered

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-space_optical_communication[/url]

[TurboDweeb]

Anybody else think another Geneva convention/U.S. federal mandate will happen in the next ten years regarding laser deployment?

i have a feeling it will be confined to anti-materiel purposes, if it ever makes it out of the role of point defense destroying missiles.

[Satansick]

[QUOTE=DChapsfield;46692169]Anybody else think another Geneva convention/U.S. federal mandate will happen in the next ten years regarding laser deployment?

i have a feeling it will be confined to anti-materiel purposes, if it ever makes it out of the role of point defense destroying missiles.[/QUOTE]
I don't think being lasered would hurt you unless you don't die instantly.

[Timebomb575]

[QUOTE=Satansick;46692792]I don't think being lasered would hurt you unless you don't die instantly.[/QUOTE]

[I]What.[/I]

[RVFHarrier]

[QUOTE=Satansick;46692792]I don't think being lasered would hurt you unless you don't die instantly.[/QUOTE]

The laser will have variable power settings for either killing or simply hurting people in order to deter a small boat, for example, from getting too close to the ship.

[Sableye]

[QUOTE=DChapsfield;46692169]Anybody else think another Geneva convention/U.S. federal mandate will happen in the next ten years regarding laser deployment?

i have a feeling it will be confined to anti-materiel purposes, if it ever makes it out of the role of point defense destroying missiles.[/QUOTE]

both the US and USSR already developed so called "blinding" laser systems long before the advent of these ray-guns, and the problem is while they can be classified as use for optics only, in practice, they could very much blind anyone looking at it. i'd rather like to see what the geneva convention says about use of lasers for anti-personel use though, i mean i'd imagine its affects would be fatal in most cases but now that its being deployed we will have to deal with the time when this actually does melt someone

[editline]11th December 2014[/editline]

[QUOTE=AntonioR;46691617]His point is probably "It's just a powerful laser and not a plasma gun or something very revolutionary."[/QUOTE]

but this level of laser-power used to take like 5 semi-trucks filled with chemical vats, and this does it from one giant laser-diode?

thats like going from a warehouse of components to make one computer to just a desktop terminal

[lintz]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S46DYr5qEGQ[/media]

SOON

[Canuhearme?]

[QUOTE=spiritlol;46688058]There's probably a Rome:TW fan in there.

[IMG_THUMB]http://i.imgur.com/HIt091h.jpg[/IMG_THUMB][/QUOTE]

Muh Arche Seleukia.

[SIRIUS]

[QUOTE=Samiam22;46689785]Not really necessary considering you have things like this

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/M4a4_flail_cfb_borden_1.JPG[/img]

that probably use a whole lot less energy[/QUOTE]

holy shit that's terrifying

[Mao II]

[QUOTE=Sableye;46692874]
but this level of laser-power used to take like 5 semi-trucks filled with chemical vats, and this does it from one giant laser-diode?

thats like going from a warehouse of components to make one computer to just a desktop terminal[/QUOTE]
it's technically 6 individual 5.5 kW fibre lasers, available commercially but I couldn't find a quote any above 500 watts, and even those ranged at 100k. I estimate the unit cost for the system to cost 8 million for the lasers, no idea about the power source or the targeting system.

So, anyone wanna start a kickstarter with me for a laser weapon? We can use solar roadways for the power source.