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

[Dirk Bruere]

On 9/2/05, J. Andrew Rogers <andrew at ceruleansystems.com> wrote:
> 
> On 9/1/05 7:28 PM, "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > --- Dirk Bruere <dirk.bruere at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> 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.
> 
> 
> State-of-the-art active radar systems do not detectably radiate at all,
> another very, very slick piece of American military technology. It is how
> stealth attack aircraft like the F-22 can use search radar while still 
> being
> invisible in the broad RF spectrum.
> 
> Broad spectrum IR imaging is much better for terminal guidance because it
> can be made very smart. Modern guidance packages of this type can 
> determine
> the make and model of their target a long way off, and sometimes the 
> country
> that owns the hardware. Which is why modern IR guidance packages are all
> but impervious to decoys and spoofing.
> 
> 
> > 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.
> 
> 
> Many critics fail to understand that at some level of power, a laser is
> qualitatively different in its interaction with matter than a milliwatt
> laser pointer. These lasers have proven quite effective against dumb/hard
> targets.
> 

Well, the 100kW aint it.
I've worked on lasers putting out 1kW onto 10 mm square carbon fibre mat and 
it does zilch. Dry hardwood is almost as good.
Now work out the power density of the 100kW laser compared to beam size on 
target.

There are numerous ways to absorb, deflect or reradiate that kind of power 
for the few seconds necessary for the munition to reach its target.
Bear in mind that these systems are used in the terminal phase of attack.
The laser will work with PGMs, but not with dumb katyushas that have been 
hardened.

Dirk
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