US tests new bigass laser weapon yolk

Killer Pigeon

Interesting ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjqw3zNxWVA

Article from Scientific America:

In a grainy, black-and-white video that looks like a home movie of a UFO attack a sleek aircraft streaks through the sky one minute, only to burst into flames the next and plummet into the sea. The silent video, which Raytheon Co. debuts Monday at the U.K.'s Farnborough International Air Show 2010, however, is not science fiction. The defense contractor says it depicts part of a test conducted in May during which the U.S. Navy used a solid-state laser to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles over the Pacific Ocean.

...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=laser-downs-uavs

JayEnnis

We're all ****ed.

chin_grin

I for one welcome our Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Overlords.

Abrasax

Lasers shooting down aircraft. Lightsabers available on the open market.

The days of Star Wars loom.

I bags an x-wing.

Sykk

Erm.. Ok, I'll take this one..

admiralofthefleet

i invented it before you, dumb americans

Cypher_sounds

Now thats gangsta

rapparee

These things have been in testing for a long time. Even on some large military aircraft, but that was hitting rockets, not planes.

I can see this being deployed along the Israeli border or something. But they do have a new system that will be up and running this year.

nice1franko

If only lazers pew pew were here to see this

derfderf

All threads should have titles like this one.

AnonoBoy

You think they'd be able to afford a decent camera instead of filming it on a phone don't you?

rapparee

AnonoBoy wrote: »

You think they'd be able to afford a decent camera instead of filming it on a phone don't you?

Spent all the money on the weapon. Is it infa red or what ?

Killer Pigeon

AnonoBoy wrote: »

You think they'd be able to afford a decent camera instead of filming it on a phone don't you?

It could be a night vision camera.

partyatmygaff

AnonoBoy wrote: »

You think they'd be able to afford a decent camera instead of filming it on a phone don't you?

Probably some technical reason. The laser mightn't be visible to the naked eye.

rapparee

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Probably some technical reason. The laser mightn't be visible to the naked eye.

It's not visible. Like a concentrated microwave I read.

Biggins

This is still early technology. A recent Times new article reported on it and made a good point.
Its can indeed shoot down aircraft but same aircraft at present have to be travelling along a straight line for some time, before a successful ability to shoot it down is achievable.

So if your in your fighter or bomber, standard rising, dipping and moving from side to side at present, will throw the laser system completely off track.

Now if you really want to start worrying, read the following times article about the secret X37B.
There is already stuff up there that we have no idea what its doing or capable of!
...and there is even a chilling bit that is added onto the article at the end!

With all the focus on the launch of the secret X37B, another space launch by a Minotaur IV rocket from Vandenberg Air Force base in California received less attention.

It was carrying the prototype of a new weapon that can hit any target around the world in less than an hour.

The Prompt Global Strike is designed as the conventional weapon of the future. It could hit Osama bin Laden’s cave, an Iranian nuclear site or a North Korean missile with a huge conventional warhead.

The Times Article:
Page 1 -
Page 2 -

partyatmygaff

There are probably hundreds of thousands of military secrets that the general public would be none the wiser of. For all we know they may have perfected human invisibility or performance enhancing exoskeletons. Weapons aren't the only thing America keep classified.

Biggins

partyatmygaff wrote: »

There are probably hundreds of thousands of military secrets that the general public would be none the wiser of. For all we know they may have perfected human invisibility or performance enhancing exoskeletons. Weapons aren't the only thing America keep classified.

Very true.
It should also be noted that many a test flight or launch they want to keep secret (and stop from being photographed and/or spotted) are usually launched at night.
Many of those UFO sightings are the Americans at work from a number of secret bases in the states.