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Airborne laser cannon

Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Cool stuff.
Looks like star wars x-wing is one step closer 🙂

Pics at site
http://www.popsci.com/military...-airborne-laser-cannon
Creating a laser that can melt a soda can in a lab is a finicky enough task. Later this year, scientists will put a 40,000-pound chemical laser in the belly of a gunship flying at 300 mph and take aim at targets as far away as five miles. And we?re not talking aluminum cans. Boeing?s new Advanced Tactical Laser will cook trucks, tanks, radio stations?the kinds of things hit with missiles and rockets today. Whereas conventional projectiles can lose sight of their target and be shot down or deflected, the ATL moves at the speed of light and can strike several targets in rapid succession.

Last December, Boeing, under contract from the Department of Defense, installed a $200-million prototype of the laser into a C-130 at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico in preparation for test flights this year. From there it will go to the Air Force for more testing, and it could be in battle within five years.

Precise control over the beam?s aim allows it to hit a moving target a few inches wide and confine the damage to that space. The Pentagon hopes such precision will translate into less collateral damage than even today?s most accurate missiles. Future versions using different types of lasers could be mounted on smaller vehicles, such as fighter jets, helicopters and trucks.
Click to expand...
 
And what happens when it crashes? 40,000 lbs of chemicals spew into the air? Sounds cool but scary.

I don't think we will see a portable version anytime soon.
 
Originally posted by: KB
And what happens when it crashes? 40,000 lbs of chemicals spew into the air? Sounds cool but scary.

I don't think we will see a portable version anytime soon.
Click to expand...

I think the whole thing weight 40,000 lbs. I assume you considered these chemicals..

2. Heat Up the Laser
In a fraction of a second, chlorine gas mixes with hydrogen peroxide. The resulting chemical reaction creates highly energetic oxygen molecules. Pressurized nitrogen pushes the oxygen through a fine mist of iodine, transferring the oxygen?s energy to iodine molecules, which shed it in the form of intense light.
 
Originally posted by: crystal
Originally posted by: KB
And what happens when it crashes? 40,000 lbs of chemicals spew into the air? Sounds cool but scary.

I don't think we will see a portable version anytime soon.
Click to expand...

I think the whole thing weight 40,000 lbs. I assume you considered these chemicals..

2. Heat Up the Laser
In a fraction of a second, chlorine gas mixes with hydrogen peroxide. The resulting chemical reaction creates highly energetic oxygen molecules. Pressurized nitrogen pushes the oxygen through a fine mist of iodine, transferring the oxygen?s energy to iodine molecules, which shed it in the form of intense light.
Click to expand...

yea we wouldnt want any oxygen or nitrogen in the air.
 
Originally posted by: SunnyD
Originally posted by: legoman666
shark mountable?
Click to expand...

Not quite, but we're getting there.

Hmm... laser at 5 miles or missile at 500 miles...
Click to expand...

Laser that costs only a few thousand to run or a missle that costs $100,000+ ?

The only expenses with the laser are the chemicals which are not too expensive (Chlorine, O2, and Iodine are all fairly common and not massively expensive). A missile OTOH is very expensive in the 6-7 figure range. The laser is much cheaper and safer for troops on the ground in a combat zone IMHO. Missiles have their uses though, and for a stand off and attack situation I will take a missile any day (cruise missile FTW)
 
That is the coolest thing I've seen all morning.

Now all I need is some hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, nitrogen and iodine and I can take over the world.
 
I'll take my orbital Novalith cannon. The brute force approach is just pure intimidation.
 
I was imagining a battle field of the future where vehicles are everywhere cut in half.
It would be kind of cartoon like.
Your riding along in a tank and suddenly after a flash of light, the thing just falls apart in two halves 🙂
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Originally posted by: SunnyD
Originally posted by: legoman666
shark mountable?
Click to expand...

Not quite, but we're getting there.

Hmm... laser at 5 miles or missile at 500 miles...
Click to expand...

Laser that costs only a few thousand to run or a missle that costs $100,000+ ?

The only expenses with the laser are the chemicals which are not too expensive (Chlorine, O2, and Iodine are all fairly common and not massively expensive). A missile OTOH is very expensive in the 6-7 figure range. The laser is much cheaper and safer for troops on the ground in a combat zone IMHO. Missiles have their uses though, and for a stand off and attack situation I will take a missile any day (cruise missile FTW)
Click to expand...

I believe if I remember the previous reports right, each time they power up that laser it costs on the order of a few million $ per shot. Remember, this is military we're talking about.
 
Originally posted by: legoman666
Originally posted by: crystal
Originally posted by: KB
And what happens when it crashes? 40,000 lbs of chemicals spew into the air? Sounds cool but scary.

I don't think we will see a portable version anytime soon.
Click to expand...

I think the whole thing weight 40,000 lbs. I assume you considered these chemicals..

2. Heat Up the Laser
In a fraction of a second, chlorine gas mixes with hydrogen peroxide. The resulting chemical reaction creates highly energetic oxygen molecules. Pressurized nitrogen pushes the oxygen through a fine mist of iodine, transferring the oxygen?s energy to iodine molecules, which shed it in the form of intense light.
Click to expand...

yea we wouldnt want any oxygen or nitrogen in the air.
Click to expand...


but oxygen is toxic...
 
Originally posted by: SunnyD
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Originally posted by: SunnyD
Originally posted by: legoman666
shark mountable?
Click to expand...

Not quite, but we're getting there.

Hmm... laser at 5 miles or missile at 500 miles...
Click to expand...

Laser that costs only a few thousand to run or a missle that costs $100,000+ ?

The only expenses with the laser are the chemicals which are not too expensive (Chlorine, O2, and Iodine are all fairly common and not massively expensive). A missile OTOH is very expensive in the 6-7 figure range. The laser is much cheaper and safer for troops on the ground in a combat zone IMHO. Missiles have their uses though, and for a stand off and attack situation I will take a missile any day (cruise missile FTW)
Click to expand...

I believe if I remember the previous reports right, each time they power up that laser it costs on the order of a few million $ per shot. Remember, this is military we're talking about.
Click to expand...

I worked on the program summer of 06 and it won't be near that much. Virus is a lot closer

also: truck-mounted laser
 
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