Lasers for the AC-130

[morsmortis]

I saw the talk of the ABL mentions in the pictures thread, thought I'd throw this bone out for everyone to chew. If the 1MW laser can do 20km against a ground target, I wonder what the one DARPA wants to make (10MW) might do.....

If this tech becomes mainstream, the fundementals of a2a and a2g combat will change drastically.

 

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/44894

[airea]

Every ground vehicle should be covered with reflecting mirrors I guess:)

[RedTiger]

I saw the talk of the ABL mentions in the pictures thread, thought I'd throw this bone out for everyone to chew. If the 1MW laser can do 20km against a ground target, I wonder what the one DARPA wants to make (10MW) might do.....

If this tech becomes mainstream, the fundementals of a2a and a2g combat will change drastically.

 

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/44894

 

Ever noticed how modern sci-fi tends to make kinetic projectile weapons still very prevelent in the future? I'm going to have a good laugh if we do end up having "ray guns" like the 50s and 60s sci-fi.

 

More seriously, directed energy weapons fascinate me. There's some part of me that will always identify them with "The Future". If I went into the future and found out humans had colonized the moon and mars and I'd still ask "that's cool...but do you have laser guns yet?"

 

If these weapons become small enough to be mounted on a vehicles, I predict the next thing that they'll try to do away with will be wheels and tracks. Who needs those when you're weapon has little to no recoil?

[-fox-]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's astounding how many sci-fi ideas become reality. It's no secret that institutions like the DARPA actually watch for good ideas in media and sometimes they actively work with authors or even fund writers competitions.

[zakobi]

Ever noticed how modern sci-fi tends to make kinetic projectile weapons still very prevelent in the future? I'm going to have a good laugh if we do end up having "ray guns" like the 50s and 60s sci-fi.

 

More seriously, directed energy weapons fascinate me. There's some part of me that will always identify them with "The Future". If I went into the future and found out humans had colonized the moon and mars and I'd still ask "that's cool...but do you have laser guns yet?"

 

If these weapons become small enough to be mounted on a vehicles, I predict the next thing that they'll try to do away with will be wheels and tracks. Who needs those when you're weapon has little to no recoil?

 

Well, i guess you know it, but tanks have tracks so they are able to force some muddy off-road terrain, and you still some lightness to stuff that are supposed to go into the air...

[GGTharos]

You'll still need armor and tracks ... see, lasers have a problem: They deliver energy in a different manner and in some cases, far less damaging manner than something like a tank gun. Or even a pistol.

[joey45]

Im still waiting for mechs.

[GGTharos]

Powered armor I can see. Mechs? Waste of space/armor/etc. Not gonna happen (as much I'd like to see some myself).

 

Tank v mech = tank wins. Just like that.

[topol-m]

I agree. Mech`s type of movement is pretty inefficient, energy waisting one. They are also a pretty big target that would not be able to find cover while a low profile tank can. For modern armies mobility and low visibility are key factors. Some experts are even talking about tanks becoming obsolete in their current configuration and the possibility of replacing them with lighter faster machines with different kinds of passive and active protection...

[morsmortis]

Anyone else find it amusing that they mounted the laser on an aircraft designed during the 50s? :)

 

I think mechs are inevitable. Although, they will probably be used for agrarian, mining and construction work rather than combat... but who knows

[EagleEye]

...If I went into the future and found out humans had colonized the moon and mars and I'd still ask "that's cool...but do you have laser guns yet?"...

Ha ha, exactly what I would ask for. Thats funny. Also if they using projectil weapons in a science fiction movie I wondered why they don`t have laser/phaser guns....?:)

[Namenlos Ein]

Nothing new under the Moon. If I remember correctly, first time the directed energy weapon was used by Archimedes during siege of Syracuse against Roman Republic's ships.

 

 

Pair of another ancient laser combat systems:

Last one is a picture of KBKhA's RD-0600 space-borne laser in the local museum. Until now it was the only combat laser I saw myself. I even touched it and looked into optical resonator.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Namenlos Ein

[GGTharos]

^^^^

 

Archimedes' 'heat ray' has already been debunked, assuming it happened as described.

[topol-m]

^^^ Actually, modern day experiments have shown that it was pretty impossible to set ships on fire with the mirrors in that time unless from pretty close distance (several meters), perfectly aligned mirrors, ship not moving, and quite a lot of time, oh and of course no people on board trying to extinguish the fire and shooting at you ;)

 

This is my comment number 1000! Can`t believe it. :doh: For the short time spent on the forums i`ve learned a lot of things from you guys. Thank you. :drunk:

Edited September 4, 2009 by topol-m

[RedTiger]

Well, i guess you know it, but tanks have tracks so they are able to force some muddy off-road terrain, and you still some lightness to stuff that are supposed to go into the air...

 

The idea was to develop something that hovers or flys above all the mud and dirt. Don't ask me how. I'm a conceptualizer, not a scientist! :P

 

You'll still need armor and tracks ... see, lasers have a problem: They deliver energy in a different manner and in some cases, far less damaging manner than something like a tank gun. Or even a pistol.

 

I was thinking about a point where they'd be powerful enough to cut through armor instantly. I guess that would have to be unbelievably powerful and betting that no one develops a very easy answer for armor. Would the ablative stuff you find on the space shuttle work against a laser?

[GGTharos]

That would be the 'keep dreaming' point :D

 

Because, yes, it would really have to be unbelievably powerful. You're talking about vaporizing high density material very quickly. That's pretty insane, and keep in mind that we do have cutting lasers doing actual work.

 

We're talking ridiculous amounts of power, crazy heat build up and dissipation, and so on and so forth. You're basically trying to harness the power of the atom here ... or ...perhaps of the anti-atom? ;)

 

The problem is that you can't just make a lasing medium infinitely powerful. You'll destroy it. And then, you'll destroy your lenses, mirrors, and all that fun stuff. Think of it as 'drag'. Nothing is perfectly reflective or transparent.

 

I was thinking about a point where they'd be powerful enough to cut through armor instantly. I guess that would have to be unbelievably powerful and betting that no one develops a very easy answer for armor. Would the ablative stuff you find on the space shuttle work against a laser?

[RedTiger]

That would be the 'keep dreaming' point :D

 

Because, yes, it would really have to be unbelievably powerful. You're talking about vaporizing high density material very quickly. That's pretty insane, and keep in mind that we do have cutting lasers doing actual work.

 

We're talking ridiculous amounts of power, crazy heat build up and dissipation, and so on and so forth. You're basically trying to harness the power of the atom here ... or ...perhaps of the anti-atom? ;)

 

The problem is that you can't just make a lasing medium infinitely powerful. You'll destroy it. And then, you'll destroy your lenses, mirrors, and all that fun stuff. Think of it as 'drag'. Nothing is perfectly reflective or transparent.

 

Good point, I didn't think about the laser destroying itself in the process.

[GGTharos]

For now anyway - after all, who knows what the future will bring? Perhaps it won't even be a gun but sort of phased-array free electron laser ... phaser? :D

[morsmortis]

Forget cutting through a tank - how about oven-roasting it? The biggest problem with these lasers are the chemicals required to get the juice up to 1MW. I knew guy a guy who worked on the 747 ABL and he said that the chemicals were so deadly you had to wear containment suits just to carry them around. I am no chemist but that sounds like it would create a new MOS in the USAF just to deal with handling this stuff.

 

The solid state lasers use crystals and less room, but they are still in the very low KW range.

[GGTharos]

If you're gonna oven-roast it, why not just shoot it with a good old tank gun?

It's so much easier, cheaper, and faster :)

[159th_Viper]

Quite partial to a Nano-Ant Infestation myself.........Imagine trying to inhabit that Tin-Can with a Swarm of Legionary Ants gettin' jiggy on your exposed bits......:helpsmilie:

 

Cheaper than a Photon-Torpedo I would have thought..........

[Clave]

I'd have thought that a large nuclear reactor would give you enough power for your future laser system - then all you need is a network of underground fibre optic cables, and turrets in key locations, and voila! you have an air defence system...

 

Of course there may be a few bugs to iron out, especially pumping hundreds of megawatts down fibre, but I'm sure they would only be minor issues... :music_whistling:

[joey45]

Lasers on planes, lasers burning ships... whats next lasers on sharks...

 

[Pilotasso]

Powered armor I can see. Mechs? Waste of space/armor/etc. Not gonna happen (as much I'd like to see some myself).

 

Tank v mech = tank wins. Just like that.

 

Only if you put them both on equal terms but its easy to imagine that mechs wont be clumsy heavy metalic robots. They will be autonomous AI's with camouflage abilities and made of exotic composites.

 

Imagine mechs pwered not by electronic circuits but fiber optics, disguised as trees, as a tank columns pass by it can morph into a multi legged vehicle or raise a gun looking like a branch and snipe the tanks before they know it was even there or react in time. But this is me imagining things. :D

 

In the future I dont think metal will cut it as armor, even ground battles can become a business of stealth and speed in nature. Classic tanks will be easy targets IMHO. Its possible even miniature warfare can become so terrible tanks will be as obsolete as horses in the battlefield.

[GGTharos]

Uh ... and what will tanks be made of at that point? ;)