[extropy-chat] LASER: DARPA's HELLADS small laser weapon makes headway

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Dirk Bruere <dirk.bruere at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 9/1/05, Mike Lorrey <mlorrey at yahoo.com> wrote:
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technovel_darpa_lasers_050830.html
> > 
> > The HELLADS is intended to be mountable on tactical aircraft, a
> Hummer,
> > or UCAVs and offer performance of 5 kg/kW weapon weight with 150 kW
> > beam energy. So it should come in at about 750 lbs in a design
> useful
> > on the battlefield
> > 
> 
> Better hope the enemy doesn't catch on to wrapping their mortar
> rounds etc in carbon fibre mat.
> I've seen lasers with a higher power density than that stopped dead
> by it. Makes a pretty light, though, as it re-radiates.

I'm sure, though I'm not too sure that the mat doesn't abrade the bore
of the mortar. Even so, if it gives off that much heat, radiating the
laser energy, it should be easily targetable by a perimter defense
phalanx gun with a FLIR seeker.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com

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