Boeing Successfully Tested Laser Cannon

[r0x0r]

This is Boeing's way of stopping losses during the recession. Strap a laser to the 747 so it can pull double duty as a warplane.

"Good evening passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are taking a slight detour over North Korea on our way Chicago. if you look out the right side of the plane, you can see Pyongyang vaporising before your very eyes".

 

[Fox Montage]

[citation][nom]c0llateral_damag3[/nom]"Collateral Damage"That means killing innocent civilians, for those that haven't served in the military. However, since 2001, most of our "collateral damage" was intentional, and/or we should've never been shooting at it in the first place. We could also GTFO of Afghanistan and Iraq right now, for an incredible 100% reduction in collateral damage. US defense contractors caring about collateral damage, laugable at best... Blackwater's bonus structure is probably based on collateral damage.[/citation]
Obviously you don't actually care that it's the resident "insurgents" that have been responsible for the majority of the civilian deaths in the last number of years in Iraq and Afghanistan. When was the last time we heard "those damn Yanks blew up a bunch of civillians while trying to get those damn bad guys"? When was the last time we heard "a car bomb in Baghdad kills 70"? About a month ago for the latter I think.

Yeah, let's pull out the troops and let those countries fall to sh*t.

 

[godnodog]

Not exacly sure, but is it wrong to "visualize it" as the phaser of Star Trek? Not the concept, just the visual look? Star Wars was like "blasts balls" of light, and Star Trek Phaser was a continues beam of light? Any one to clarify?

 

[mikepaul]

So what happens when everyone we'd want to use it on builds huge mirrors around their critical installations? Fire real missiles first THEN the laser? If we still need missiles then the laser is just the closer rather than the lead weapon.

Really shiny Russian jets, anyone?...

 

[Guest]

hell they probably used a ford pinto, those blow up all by them selves.

Chris Knight: Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?
Mitch: No...
Chris Knight: Why am I the only one who has that dream?

 

[awaken688]

[citation][nom]djcoolmasterx[/nom]Wow, they have magically invented photons with mass. LRN2PHYSICS[/citation]

You need to learn your own physics. Gravity bending light has already been proven. Actually for a long time.

 

[nekatreven]

"It's not a laser! It's a little light bulb that blinks!" -woody

 

[shabaa]

Is the DOD and Boeing unaware that the laser can be easily defeated by the use of a mirror or a mirror surface? It is not that tough to put on the outside of a missile. A mirror surface would also baffle the targeting beam as well.

 

[webgrunt]

"The beam control system acquired the ground target -- an unoccupied stationary vehicle -- and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system. The laser beam's energy defeated the vehicle."

I’d like to know exactly what qualifies as “defeating” an unoccupied, unmoving vehicle. Burning a spot in the paint? Getting the fuzzy dice to smolder?

 

[WyomingKnott]

[citation][nom]Cryogenic[/nom]Next we need energy shields, you know to counter those lasers, let's see which will be the first company to successfully test those.[/citation]
I think I have one here in my cabinet - a device that deflects incoming visible-range photons away from me and, potentially, right back at their source. Me call this "mirror."

Or does said weapon operate in a non-visible part of the spectrum?

(This reminds me of the joke about a person who invented a device to see through walls. The window.)

 

[Gryphyn]

Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. the ability to destroy an unoccupied stationary vehicle is insignificant next to the power of the force.

 

[Khimera2000]

i dont know about the mirror thing... last time i checked my mirrors melted after a certain amount of heat... whats yours made of??? I mean... even a normal peace of metal starts to have a coating after a certain amount of heat. and even if it reflects... a potato still bakes in foil.

 

[jecht]

[citation][nom]godnodog[/nom]Not exacly sure, but is it wrong to "visualize it" as the phaser of Star Trek? Not the concept, just the visual look? Star Wars was like "blasts balls" of light, and Star Trek Phaser was a continues beam of light? Any one to clarify?[/citation]

I think the most accurate way to picture it would be the spartan laser from halo 3. A low power laser is emitted to acquire the target, and then the high-powered weapon laser is fired to destroy the target.

 

[jecht]

[citation][nom]godnodog[/nom]Not exacly sure, but is it wrong to "visualize it" as the phaser of Star Trek? Not the concept, just the visual look? Star Wars was like "blasts balls" of light, and Star Trek Phaser was a continues beam of light? Any one to clarify?[/citation]

Sorry to double post, but as for the "visual look" of the laser, the beam itself would probably be invisible in most circumstances (think of laser pointers - you usually don't see the beam, just the point of light on a surface). And even in a situation where you could see the beam, like in fog or smoke, it would be a very brief, intense blast so you probably wouldn't see more than a bright flash of colored light.

I hope they release a video or pictures of the test, I want to see it in action!

 

[Guest]

[citation][nom]webgrunt[/nom]"The beam control system acquired the ground target -- an unoccupied stationary vehicle -- and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system. The laser beam's energy defeated the vehicle."I’d like to know exactly what qualifies as “defeating” an unoccupied, unmoving vehicle. Burning a spot in the paint? Getting the fuzzy dice to smolder?[/citation]

Probably just means it damaged the tires - can't see even a highly energetic chem laser putting a hole in a jeep from a high-altitude plane. Besides it would have to be non-lethal, the use of lasers as weapons against people is banned under the Geneva convention

 

[eyemaster]

You can use a low power laser to aim the 2nd beam down.

 

[jwl3]

collateral damage,

Whatever idiot. I'm sure Saddam Hussein would be a wonderful mayor of Iraq now if he were alive and we weren't there. And I'm sure we and the taliban would be the best of friends today if it weren't for Bush.

Why don't you make yourself useful and go to Afghanistan as a human shield? Chances are 1000-1, you'd be blowed up by the taliban rather than allied forces.

 

[njalterio]

IN 4 1

 

[wild9]

This means that the military could potentially have access to a weapon that can annihilate the enemy without the collateral damage caused by rockets and bombs.

To be honest I'm not exactly elated over this technology.

I think these couple of lines from the track 'Land of Confusion' by Genesis, are most apt..

"Ooh superman where are you now
When everything's gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour."

Why does it exist? I think it exists merely to bolster an increasingly unethical and ridiculously costly interventionist policy, as well as the vast profits for those involved in it's development.

I think many are also people are worried about just where this technology is actually going, and who it's going to be aimed at..I'd rather it be aimed at cancer cells. Alas, war is profit.

 

[rcmaniac25]

So they tested:
http/www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090618-F-0000X-101.jpg

When will they test this?
http/neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2007-07/laser-weapon-airplane.jpg