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Vince524 · Dec 11, 2014

The Navy announced that it had deployed and fired a laser weapon this fall aboard a warship in the Persian Gulf. During a series of test shots, the laser hit and destroyed targets mounted atop a small boat, blasted a six-foot drone from the sky, and destroyed other moving targets.

“This is the first time in recorded history that a directed energy weapons system has ever deployed on anything,” Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, chief of naval research, told reporters at the Pentagon. “A lot of people talk about it—we decided to go do it.”

Can they be set to stun? How long until we have hand blasters.

For the record, the USS Ponce shot first.

Helix · Dec 11, 2014

I think it's great that there's a vessel called the USS Ponce.

Liosse de Velishaf · Dec 11, 2014

I thought we'd tested chemical lasers on missiles/drones previously.

And solid-state lasers have been lab-tested on aluminum targets.

Regardless, still cool.

Diana Hignutt · Dec 11, 2014

Points for a great title, Vince.

Vince524 · Dec 11, 2014

Diana Hignutt said:
Points for a great title, Vince.

Locke · Dec 11, 2014

I wish the article had a little more science in it. Still, it's fairly limited as a weapon, as what you're generally doing is generating heat, so you'd have to pick your targets in order for it to be effective. Hull of an inflatable craft? No problem. Armored hull of another warship? That tickles.

cmhbob · Dec 11, 2014

Love the headline, Vince. And what's really amusing is that the weapon fires multiple beams that converge on the target, not entirely unlike the Death Star's planet killer.

At any rate, here's teh Wiki article, with links to sciencey articles.

Albedo · Dec 11, 2014

From what I've read about Millennium Challenge, a Persian Gulf war game, an actual engagement in that region would end pretty much like the Battle of Yavin, with an American aircraft carrier playing the part of the Death Star.

So this is quite appropriate!

Locke · Dec 11, 2014

*noms on the science bits*

Brightdreamer · Dec 11, 2014

Albedo said:
From what I've read about Millennium Challenge, a Persian Gulf war game, an actual engagement in that region would end pretty much like the Battle of Yavin, with an American aircraft carrier playing the part of the Death Star.

So... our aircraft carriers have an undefended Achilles Heel exhaust port that will be exploited by our enemies?

Seriously, though, it's kinda neat seeing sci-fi come to life.

Okelly65 · Dec 11, 2014

its a free electron laser, (solid state) basically using the same system as research particle colliders. it can use variable power settings to change its functions and the fact that its a light speed weapon means that if it functions correctly no missile or aircraft can evade it, at least till countermeasures are developed and deployed.

regdog · Dec 12, 2014

Successful test

asroc · Dec 12, 2014

Isn't this the same administration that said it wasn't feasible to build a Death Star?

JimmyB27 · Dec 12, 2014

Vince524 said:
Isn't this cool!

New and exciting ways to kill people are always cool in my books.

Kaiser-Kun · Dec 12, 2014

The crew will be formed by veterans of the USS William D. Porter.

Rufus Coppertop · Dec 12, 2014

Helix said:
I think it's great that there's a vessel called the USS Ponce.

You took the words right out from under my fingers.

Don · Dec 13, 2014

Vince524 said:
Isn't this cool!

JimmyB27 said:
New and exciting ways to kill people are always cool in my books.

Gah! I really hope that's sarcasm.

I see nothing cool about this at all. Another way to kill. Whoopie. I guess since it's mega-expensive and only our military can afford it, it's A Good Thing. It can be used to Slay. The. Infidels.

Personally, I can't wait until they've miniaturized it down to handweapon size, and I can find plans on the internet for my 3-D printed version. :sarcasm

Andreas_Montoya · Dec 14, 2014

Both the new laser and electronic gun cost pennies on the dollar when compared to missiles and smart bombs. The heat generated would fry sensitive electronics.

phantasy · Dec 14, 2014

And things like this are probably the only reason that I hate science.

Seriously? We need to invent new ways to kill each other? Creating cars and atomic bombs and global warming aren't enough? Damn people who create unnecessary weapons and damn the people who sell them. And damn the military-industrial complex. There, I said it.

Zoombie · Dec 14, 2014

Well, lasers are a better defensive weapon than most - lasers are faster than missiles, and missiles are pretty flimsy, so being able to zap missiles is useful.

Also, lasers can be used to accelerate starships and communicate long distances!

So, while I'm usually pretty against the military industrial complex, at least lasers are fairly multi-use, unlike...say, a broadsword.

Can't launch spaceships with swords.

Brightdreamer · Dec 14, 2014

Zoombie said:
Can't launch spaceships with swords.

Depends on how you use them. And on whom...

LittlePinto · Dec 14, 2014

Don said:
Gah! I really hope that's sarcasm.

I see nothing cool about this at all. Another way to kill. Whoopie. I guess since it's mega-expensive and only our military can afford it, it's A Good Thing. It can be used to Slay. The. Infidels.

Personally, I can't wait until they've miniaturized it down to handweapon size, and I can find plans on the internet for my 3-D printed version.

Do you think the NRA would back it? I mean, on the one hand it's a new and exciting way to kill at a distance. On the other hand, the Constitution says nothing about our right to bear laser guns.

Xelebes · Dec 14, 2014

Locke said:
I wish the article had a little more science in it. Still, it's fairly limited as a weapon, as what you're generally doing is generating heat, so you'd have to pick your targets in order for it to be effective. Hull of an inflatable craft? No problem. Armored hull of another warship? That tickles.

Perhaps but the intention with an even stronger laser is to get explosive spalling to occur. Heat a point so that it expands rapidly. Because it has nowhere to go but out, it either leaks out or explodes in the hole it is boiling in. In the latter case, a sufficiently explosive burst would have more success in cracking the armoured hull than a projectile. That said, they are working on naval rail guns which might have more penetrative success with less power.

donroc · Dec 14, 2014

Out of war science comes ancillary benefits. Lasers work well on toe fungus. Melts the gunk without damaging the nail according to a podiatrist friend of mine. But not yet accepted by Medicare.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...tripbooks&field-keywords=Donald+Michael+Platt

Teinz · Dec 15, 2014

phantasy said:
And things like this are probably the only reason that I hate science.

Seriously? We need to invent new ways to kill each other? Creating cars and atomic bombs and global warming aren't enough? Damn people who create unnecessary weapons and damn the people who sell them. And damn the military-industrial complex. There, I said it.

I agree.

Having said that, I'm still glad it's the Americans that have access to this new weapon, instead of Russia or China.

Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!!!

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