VIDEO: Boeing's Advanced Tactical Laser; Pew
"Laser"
Laser cannons mounted on jet planes? Yes, that is the future. Early last month, Boeing announced that it successfully defeated a ground target using its Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, marking the ship's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement.
Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit, said that the weapon performed extremely well during the test, and that its three main components--the high-energy chemical laser, beam control system and battle manager--worked correctly in unison to provide an effective laser beam.
"This milestone demonstrates that directed energy weapon systems will transform the battlespace and save lives by giving warfighters a speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "By demonstrating this capability, the ATL team has earned a distinguished place in the history of weapon system development."
Now we have a video showing the ATL in action. Of course, the test target appears to be a stationary vehicle, and the effects of the laser don't seem to be very devastating, but this is likely only a light taste of what's truly possible.
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PEW PEW PEW, ION CANONS!!!1!!
When are they going to invent a wearable energy shield that can protect me from lasers???
Bring on the phasers!
Time to upgrade my energy weapons stat! XD
I wonder if Moore's law applies to lasers?...probably not.
I'm more concerned about Murphy's than Moore's law with this one.
Star Wars is soo close :x
So we the good guys get the blue laser, and the evil people get the red lasers right?
Scotty, turn on the shields!
I doubt that was fired from an aircraft.
It's too steady and such a small target area.
If that laser can set on fire a piece of metal with such precision, imagine what that thing can do with enemy soldiers. Forget about body armor, because that won't protect you from an invisible flamethrower!
Now I will carry a reflective umbrella with me just in case.
Now all we need is a house full of popcorn.
now if only the 787 was this successful... *sigh* (I an avid aviation lover just as much as I love computers
)
damn, now i will have to polish my aluminium hat !
Im wondering....does a mirror reflect the laser beam? Cause the last thing you want is some smart ass to get a huge mirror and redirect the laser beam towards the plane's wing and igniting a multi-million dollar object into a ball of flames...
that's it, i'm mummifying myself with 3M reflective tape.
Im wondering....does a mirror reflect the laser beam? Cause the last thing you want is some smart ass to get a huge mirror and redirect the laser beam towards the plane's wing and igniting a multi-million dollar object into a ball of flames...
Yes and no. Mirror's don't actually reflet ALL of the light. So, a very powerful laser can melt a mirror in no time. Also, a mirror won't reflect a laser back at it's source unless it's angle is 90, and who is capable of such precision WHEN AN EFFIN GIANT FLYING LASER IS BEING FIRED AT HIM!!
SWEET! GO USA! GO USA!
I doubt that was fired from an aircraft.It's too steady and such a small target area.
Yes it was fired from an aircraft. That's what's so freaking amazing about this demonstration. Aiming at a 1-2 foot square area and maintaining the target in a less than 6in diameter (measurements roughly judging from the video). I want to see the engine block of that vehicle. It doesn't take much molten metal in a combustion chamber to lock the entire engine up.
Well... if the enemy used more of a reflector than a mirror (reflectors are composed of three triangular mirrors arranged in a pyramid shape) and they reflect light back at its source
Well if they made shields... we would have to worry about the pseudo-atomic laser shield interaction!!!!
So... did the non-Advanced version miss, or was it not powerful enough to make the hood of a yugo go up in flames?
Alright, now let's try that out on a human...somebody go get Michael Moore.
Now we can set people on fire from the air! YAY!
So we the good guys get the blue laser, and the evil people get the red lasers right?
You'd think we'd have the better lasers then (higher frequency), based on colour alone. Oh wait, you would, I'd totally have the red laser.
I wonder if lower power ones will be equipped on commercial planes to take out those pesky birds that always fly into engines.
"By demonstrating this capability, the ATL team has earned a distinguished place in the history of weapon system development."
Except the Soviat A-60 did it in 1983
Meh, the laser beam is invisible, I would have preferred a strong glowing beam just like in Star Wars.
When are they going to invent a wearable energy shield that can protect me from lasers???
yes, all you need is a mirror shield...or mirror undies
great waste of money...we will never learn.
imma chargin mah lazer!