New ways to kill...

[Kaos]

Click here. (http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19926715.400-us-army-has-laser-guns-in-its-sights.html)



US army has laser guns in its sights
02 September 2008

LASER weapons mounted on trucks could be ready to roll into battle within five years. This week Boeing won a $36 million contract from the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command to build the optics needed to track and focus lethal laser energy onto rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds. The High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator will use a new solid-state laser powered by electricity from a truck-mounted diesel generator, rather than bulky and dangerous chemicals.

Later this year, military engineers will stage a shoot-out between two rival designs for the 100-kilowatt solid-state laser. The winning laser will have to be ruggedised to survive field conditions and made small enough to fit inside the truck. The laser is scheduled to start shooting at real targets in 2013.

Weapons Technology - Keep up with the latest innovations in our cutting edge special report.

Now all we need is Godzilla and we are set!

[SRP76]

...and if the batteries for that thing run out in the middle of a battle, you're going to look awfully foolish.

[Kaos]

Actually they want them to be powered by diesel generators on the trucks. So keep the diesel coming I suppose.

[Mike70]

So keep the diesel coming I suppose.

shaquille o'neal can power a laser?? wow, he really is superman.

[Publius]

shaquille o'neal can power a laser?? wow, he really is superman.

No, I think they're talking about Vin Diesel. All it takes is one icy scowl per laser blast.

[AcesandEights]

No, I think they're talking about Vin Diesel.

Is that where all the Vin Diesel hyp from a few years ago went? It's been shunted off and is now powering anti-personnel lasers?

[slickwilly13]

What if it was used as a secondary weapon, instead of a primary? They could attach it to a tank. Instead of a machine gun turret it would be a laser turret.

[EvilNed]

Awesome! I've been waiting for this stuff since the 80's!

[Danny]

there combining diesel with lasers?!?



so they never though about going over a dune or bump and hitting each other?, or if the enemy commandeered one?


that has "made of fail" written all over it.

[Publius]

there combining diesel with lasers?!?



so they never though about going over a dune or bump and hitting each other?, or if the enemy commandeered one?


I don't get it -- what's your concern? We have vehicles that use diesel fuel now.

[Danny]

but do they have lasers attached?


if its made by man then it will go faulty at some point, and i would not test rive something that combined explosive fuel with high intensity heat for any amount of cash.


but then again im paranoid as **** when it comes to other peoples handiwork.

[Publius]

but do they have lasers attached?


if its made by man then it will go faulty at some point, and i would not test rive something that combined explosive fuel with high intensity heat for any amount of cash.
.

No, but they often have big cannons or rockets attached. I don't see why lasers + diesel is more dangerous than high explosives + diesel. Also, diesel is less flammable and less explosive than gasoline, which is why it is commonly used in military vehicles. Did you expect the laser-carrying vehicles to be foot-powered like a Flintstone car? ;)

[SRP76]

YABBADABBADOOOOOOO!!!
*country gets light-sabered*

[Yojimbo]

I want a laser!!!!! How cool if this works, but I tend to agree that it sounds prone to failure.


You know, just a thought but instead of doing this sort of thing with a laser, why not use a very small one inside of a rifle to set off a charge propelling caseless ammunition. Since primer's fail and the shell of conventional ammo adds weight to ammunition, this might be able to enable a soldier to carry more ammo and reduce incidents of misfire. Better use of the technology.

[DubiousComforts]

Now all we need is Godzilla and we are set!
Godzilla was never hurt by a man-made laser in any film that I ever saw. Get your facts straight! :D

[Kaos]

Godzilla was never hurt by a man-made laser in any film that I ever saw. Get your facts straight! :D

That doesn't mean he wasn't shot by a man-made laser.

[Publius]

You know, just a thought but instead of doing this sort of thing with a laser, why not use a very small one inside of a rifle to set off a charge propelling caseless ammunition. Since primer's fail and the shell of conventional ammo adds weight to ammunition, this might be able to enable a soldier to carry more ammo and reduce incidents of misfire. Better use of the technology.

I imagine one difficulty would be creating an ignition laser strong enough to withstand the chamber pressure. The other difficulty that caseless ammo has not yet been able to overcome is preventing the caseless propellant from cooking off when the chamber gets hot during rapid fire.

[Yojimbo]

I imagine one difficulty would be creating an ignition laser strong enough to withstand the chamber pressure. The other difficulty that caseless ammo has not yet been able to overcome is preventing the caseless propellant from cooking off when the chamber gets hot during rapid fire.

Well, it was just an off the cuff thought, not one that I put much time into considering. What you said, Publius makes much sense and I have no doubt it wouldn't be all that simple to carry this out, otherwise I am sure it would have been done already and issued to our soldiers.

I am not a mechanically minded person, though I like firearms. The idea of a laser gun is something that has seemed very cool to me since I was a child. Even now, I admit that I am waiting for someone to develop a fireball shooting pistol like the Sandmen had in Logans Run. Silly, to be certain, but how cool would it be to have that as a sidearm.

Your points, all the same, are well taken. :)

[DubiousComforts]

That doesn't mean he wasn't shot by a man-made laser.
So what you're saying is that unlike the JSDF, the US military is preparing their useless weapons far in advance of Godzilla's appearance. Now I get it.

You do know that the US military has developed a non-lethal heat ray with a range of about 1/2-mile that can be used to disperse a crowd? That would obviously be the best strategy against Godzilla: instead of trying to kill it, annoy it until it leaves.

[Kaos]

That would obviously be the best strategy against Godzilla: instead of trying to kill it, annoy it until it leaves.

We could also achieve this by projecting old Seinfeld episodes continuously at Godzilla... maybe the laser is more humane.

[MikePizzoff]

Great. This is the start of Cobra Commander.

[Publius]

Well, it was just an off the cuff thought, not one that I put much time into considering. What you said, Publius makes much sense and I have no doubt it wouldn't be all that simple to carry this out, otherwise I am sure it would have been done already and issued to our soldiers.

Yeah I'd like to see practical caseless ammo too. I was just pointing out the current obstacles, but I bet they'll be worked out eventually. At least the cookoff one. It may be easier to use an electrical ignition system than laser ignition.