America's laser of death cleared for take-off

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MadRat

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
11,974
293
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<<Blinding would probably be prohibited by the Geneva Convention, which is full of odd quirky rules about what the "right" and "wrong" way to go about trying to kill someone is. Oddly enough, that document probably wouldn't find anything wrong with vaporizing someone, but blinding him, buddy, we got a problem>>

War to the progressive individual is not about killing, its about positioning for victory. The Geneva Accords tried to limit the weapons that maimed and mutilated the soldiers.

Weapons of mass destruction are strictly prohibited by the spirit of those conventions, but it has yet to prevent thier use. Case in point, the cluster bomb would be illegal by the spirit of the accords but it didn't stop them from being used by the allies on both Iraq and Serbia.

Man-portable lasers may not vaporize, but they will have a practical benefit against snipers and scouts that are using night vision goggles.
 

XMan

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
12,513
49
91
a) the laser puts out very nonfriendly gasses.

b) it requires a helluvalot of juice to power it.

c) it's fragile

d) as to "shoot up the mirror first" there's very, very little (read: nothing) the laser can do that bullets can't, unless it's against such targets as missiles.

e) lasers can't fire over the horizon

f) the laser loses effiency over distance pretty quickly when it's being fired in thick atmosphere.

we're a long, long way from a) lasers in a starwars defense (1: would require planes to fly pretty damn close to the missiles' takeoff areas 2: missiles would have to be held in the laser's beam for 30 seconds+) and b) lasers replacing good ol' bullets.

just one man's opinion


I don't know, it would not surprise me at all if some of those hurdles had already been cleared. There's a lot of "black" research with big money behind it that the public often does not find out about until long after it's been implemented. The Stealth fighter had been in service for what, 5 years before it was publicly acknowledged?
 
Feb 24, 2001
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<< The Stealth fighter had been in service for what, 5 years before it was publicly acknowledged? >>

IIRC, the F117 was flying as early as the late 1970s...a bit more than 5 years ;)
 

kulki

Senior member
Jul 18, 2001
739
0
0


<<

<< << Time to buy some big-ass mirrors. >>

I think that is exactly what saddam in Iraq, and those afghanies are thinking
>>



Seeing how the aircraft is already carrying normal guns, any pilot with half a brain would shoot up the mirror first with bullets and then fry the target with the laser.
>>


lol
 

XMan

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
12,513
49
91
<< << Time to buy some big-ass mirrors. >>

I think that is exactly what saddam in Iraq, and those afghanies are thinking >>



Seeing how the aircraft is already carrying normal guns, any pilot with half a brain would shoot up the mirror first with bullets and then fry the target with the laser. >>


I'm not sure if a big-ass mirror would work on a laser of sufficent power. If enough energy is directed on one spot by the laser, this would result in a rapid build up of heat. And unless the mirror could diffuse heat rapidly, it would shatter or melt.
 

Soulflare

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2000
1,801
0
0


<< I'm not sure if a big-ass mirror would work on a laser of sufficent power. If enough
energy is directed on one spot by the laser, this would result in a rapid build up of
heat. And unless the mirror could diffuse heat rapidly, it would shatter or melt.
>>



You could probably just run a stream of water down the mirror's surface... it would
not only cool the mirror but it could also defract the laser beam a little to spread the
pain.
 
Aug 10, 2001
10,420
2
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<<

<< I'm not sure if a big-ass mirror would work on a laser of sufficent power. If enough
energy is directed on one spot by the laser, this would result in a rapid build up of
heat. And unless the mirror could diffuse heat rapidly, it would shatter or melt.
>>



You could probably just run a stream of water down the mirror's surface... it would
not only cool the mirror but it could also defract the laser beam a little to spread the
pain.
>>


What the heck would a stream of water do? Isn't the temperature of the beam like several hundred million degrees?
 

Nefrodite

Banned
Feb 15, 2001
7,931
0
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:p its not practical to cover everything in mirrors anyways, even harder to add water to it. if your close enuph to laser a simple shot from a conventional weap as someone else said would shatter ...shattered glass flying around.. sweet!
 

Heisenberg

Lifer
Dec 21, 2001
10,621
1
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<< What the heck would a stream of water do? Isn't the temperature of the beam like several hundred million degrees? >>



Absolutely nothing. If that laser can focus enough W/m^2 to burn through metal it would vaporize the water instantly as well as destroy the mirror.
 

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
81


<< the F117 was flying as early as the late 1970s... >>

IIFC the military was working on some pretty nifty lasers mounted on vehicles in the 70s. These, I think, had the ability to reach up into the atmosphere to strike targets. I can only imagine how much better the weapons are 30 years later.