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

[Mike Lorrey]

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

> On 9/5/05, Mike Lorrey <mlorrey at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > 
> > Firstly, your ciaonet reference page is login access only.
> > 
> > Secondly, any weapon small enough to fit on a fighter aircraft,
> which
> > is what HELLADS is intended for in its final version, would not
> have an
> > aperture or beam size of 12 cm. Aerodynamics and airframe space
> > limitations wouldn't allow it. The point of the weapon is something
> > that replaces the 20 mm vulcan cannon currently standard equipment
> on
> > US fighters and is typically mounted within one or the other wing
> root.
> > A laser weapons caliber/beam width should be of similar dimensions,
> > thus 20 mm would be about .80 caliber. Beam size between .50-1.50",
> or
> > 12-37mm are what the application would call for.
> > 
> > If you can't fit the weapon inside the cavity reserved for the
> vulcan
> > cannon, don't waste your time. Especially if it winds up being some
> > add-on pod that takes up bomb/missile/fuel tank rack space, and
> > detracts from vehicle aerodynamics.
> > 
> > From what I've heard, it fits in a weapons pod.

Sources, please.

> It's not internal.
> Second, data I extrapolated from was the airborne MIRACL system
> http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/asat/miracl.htm

Miracl was a large 10-20  year old technology. Your assumptions are groundless.

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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