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

[Dirk Bruere]

On 9/2/05, Mike Lorrey <mlorrey at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> --- 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.
> 

Well, mortar rounds are already quite trackable by radar so using a HEL to 
illuminate them seems a bit redundant.
IIRC the US and Israel were talking of deploying a similar system to hit 
katyusha rockets fired at settlements. haven't heard much since about it 
though.
Problem is that hardening munitions against laser energy is relatively easy. 
Maybe all hamas/Hezbollah would have to do is either polish the rockets or 
coat them in sawdust/glue. There is not an infinitely long time window in 
which to down these things.

I suspect that the reason it's being deployed on aircraft is to zap MANPADS 
like Stinger that rely on delicate sensors so more low level flying can be 
undertaken in places like Afghanistan.

Dirk
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