[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 9/2/05, 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.
> 
> Hardly. A radar itself can be homed in on with an anti-radiation
> missile or other weapon. A FLIR is passive, and thus a better sensor,
> just as passive sonar is more secure than active sonar.
> 
> > 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.
> 
> Actually, the THEL has been tested against katyushas. And despite the
> claims of the disparagers, polishing or sawdust and glue doesn't do
> anything to protect against a high energy laser. Its all well and good
> to talk about it, but proving it is another thing.
> 
> 
The people making it, buying it and paying for it are the last ones to want 
to develop a $1 countermeasure.
I'll leave that to Hezbollah after its deployed.
If they can't come up with somthing I'll accept you are correct.

Dirk
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20050902/cc0e4e01/attachment.html>