Navy Laser Weapon Successfully Taking Out Targets

[projectmayhem]

http://news.yahoo.com/watch-u-navy-laser-weapon-two-ships-video-173218470.html

I remember reading about this a few months back but this is the first video I see of the laser.

I find it interesting the way technology is changing the way wars are being fought.

It is also worth noting how well this performs considering the article says it performed "flawlessly" in adverse weather. The fact that it doesn't cost much to fire the damn thing helps a lot considering how much ammunition costs.

 

I fear what the future holds in regards to the types of weapons that will be used to fight wars.

 

What are your thoughts?

[SirRoderick]

Frankly I don't care if I get shot by a bullet or a laser, as long as they don't EMP my internet o3o

[Sidiox]

Star Wars any one?

 

(Mount a couple of these on those futuristic looking White Knights from Virgin Space!)

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

You can thank the british for developing this incredible innovation.

[gozzygozborn]

I don't think the types of weapons will be the problem, it depends the people that use them and how they are being used. I don't see how the weapons themselves can become any more dangerous than nuclear weapons now.

[Sauron]

My thoughts are that the Bomb makes all of this irrelevant... (unfortunately the darn thing hasn't been canceled from existance yet). If it ever comes to full-out war to the point that significant navy forces must be employed we'll just blow each other up first.

[Diederik_Gr]

Democracy just got a little faster.

[Tonylu1595]

So no railgun?

[gozzygozborn]

You can thank the british for developing this incredible innovation.

I don't think so.

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

I don't think so.

(Like many of the US weapons systems) it was developed by BAE Systems.

[gozzygozborn]

So no railgun?

That has already been a think I am pretty sure.

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

So no railgun?

BAE have also developed a magnet based rail gun weapon.

 

[gozzygozborn]

(Like many of the US weapons systems) it was developed by BAE Systems.

That specific one, but Britain can't take credit for lasers

[Sidiox]

My thoughts are that the Bomb makes all of this irrelevant... (unfortunately the darn thing hasn't been canceled from existance yet). If it ever comes to full-out war to the point that significant navy forces must be employed we'll just blow each other up first.

Why irrelevant? With this you can easily take out Somalian pirate ships, just punch a few laser holes in their engine and they are done, this is cheaper and way more accurate, and there fore safer (less chance of hitting people). And this system can also be used as an anti missile system, most missiles can be taken off course by just a bit of damage to the wings of it. 

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

That specific one, but Britain can't take credit for lasers

Yes, it is the most sucessful laser weapon tested to date, and is the only one tested on a real ship. I would say that britain can in fact take credit for it.

[Sauron]

Why irrelevant? With this you can easily take out Somalian pirate ships, just punch a few laser holes in their engine and they are done, this is cheaper and way more accurate, and there fore safer (less chance of hitting people). And this system can also be used as an anti missile system, most missiles can be taken off course by just a bit of damage to the wings of it. 

 

Good luck actually hitting a flap on a speeding missile, let alone a slew of them ^^ but I do see the point for fighting pirates, hadn't thought of that.

[DigitalHermit]

Last I heard about this was when it was used as an anti-missile defense system... Has anyone tried countering it by putting a large mirror in its path?

 

Frankly I don't care if I get shot by a bullet or a laser, as long as they don't EMP my internet o3o

EMPs are nasty...

 

So no railgun?

Railguns ftw!

[projectmayhem]

I agree with many of you that bombs are the biggest concern.

I also agree with the point that a weapon is only as dangerous as the person/people handling it.

My mind just imagines what the next big weapon will be. Imagine a weapon so devastating it makes a hydrogen bomb look like a bow and arrow.

What that weapon could possibly be? Who knows, but all the weird weapon prototypes we are seeing being developed all across the globe simply have me worried for what is to come.

[mr moose]

Is it just me or is the defense force using console controllers to aim these things?

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

Is it just me or is the defense force using console controllers to aim these things?

They are cheap, made by a trusted company, known to be reliable and the operators will likely be used to them without any extra training.

[Sidiox]

Good luck actually hitting a flap on a speeding missile, let alone a slew of them ^^ but I do see the point for fighting pirates, hadn't thought of that.

Why would that be hard though? This thing fires a laser, a light beam. Just aim and shoot, no significant travel time and you only need a few moments of light to destroy or divert one missile , this thing can shoot at many many targets in a short time frame, it only needs to be reaimed and potentially cooled

[Maslofski]

The sound of the new A-10L "Warlaser": *silence**target explosion**aircraft noise*

[Sauron]

Why would that be hard though? This thing fires a laser, a light beam. Just aim and shoot, no significant travel time and you only need a few moments of light to destroy or divert one missile , this thing can shoot at many many targets in a short time frame, it only needs to be reaimed and potentially cooled

 

It's not the weapon that would fail, the trigger finger is probably not fast enough, unless they can get a very advanced infrared automatic targeting system or something like that going (which would be both very expensive and potentially too slow to retarget) I don't see it being very feasible...

[HippY]

(Like many of the US weapons systems) it was developed by BAE Systems.

those are some awesome guys, I got the possibility to work with some apprentice and met with the heads of BAE.... seems like a good place to work at

[Kingofpants]

Not sure how good it is, If you use a mirror based Aiming system it could probably be VERY fast and accurate.

But basically its a modern version of this-