morsmortis Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airea Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Every ground vehicle should be covered with reflecting mirrors I guess:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTiger Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-fox- Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakobi Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey45 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Im still waiting for mechs. The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. "Me, the 13th Duke of Wybourne, here on the ED forums at 3 'o' clock in the morning, with my reputation. Are they mad.." https://ko-fi.com/joey45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topol-m Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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... [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morsmortis Posted September 4, 2009 Author Share Posted September 4, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleEye Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 ...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....?:) Deutsche DCS-Flughandbücher SYSSpecs: i7-4790K @4GHz|GA-Z97X-SLI|16GB RAM|ASUS GTX1070|Win10 64bit|TrackIR5|TM Warthog/Saitek Pro Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namenlos Ein Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 (edited) 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 ^^^^ Archimedes' 'heat ray' has already been debunked, assuming it happened as described. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topol-m Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 (edited) ^^^ 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 [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTiger Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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? [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedTiger Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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 [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morsmortis Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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 :) [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
159th_Viper Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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.......... Novice or Veteran looking for an alternative MP career? Click me to commence your Journey of Pillage and Plunder! [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] '....And when I get to Heaven, to St Peter I will tell.... One more Soldier reporting Sir, I've served my time in Hell......' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clave Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey45 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Lasers on planes, lasers burning ships... whats next lasers on sharks... The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. "Me, the 13th Duke of Wybourne, here on the ED forums at 3 'o' clock in the morning, with my reputation. Are they mad.." https://ko-fi.com/joey45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilotasso Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 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. [sigpic]http://forums.eagle.ru/signaturepics/sigpic4448_29.gif[/sigpic] My PC specs below:Case: Corsair 400C PSU: SEASONIC SS-760XP2 760W Platinum CPU: AMD RYZEN 3900X (12C/24T) RAM: 32 GB 4266Mhz (two 2x8 kits) of trident Z RGB @3600Mhz CL 14 CR=1T MOBO: ASUS CROSSHAIR HERO VI AM4 GFX: GTX 1080Ti MSI Gaming X Cooler: NXZT Kraken X62 280mm AIO Storage: Samsung 960 EVO 1TB M.2+6GB WD 6Gb red HOTAS: Thrustmaster Warthog + CH pro pedals Monitor: Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD Freesync HDR400 1440P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGTharos Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Uh ... and what will tanks be made of at that point? ;) [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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