Navy Laser Weapon to be deployed

[Capt_hensley]

Just a little tech update to brighten your day.

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2013/04/10/solid-state-laser-gun-to-be-placed-aboard-uss-ponce/

This new kind of weapon will give our warfighters options like no other system before. I like to use the “five Ds” when describing its myriad of capabilities: deter, disable, damage, defeat and destroy. The solid-state laser can vary the power and accomplish each of these, independently or sequentially.

Mr Checkov, Phasers on "D"

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, for the start, it will just be capable of blinding sensors... which is already good enough for government work.

 

[Athena]

Just another weapon of "democracy", i guess.

Though, is it true that it it doesn't need ammo?

 

[APDAF]

So the yanks developed a weapon that can be easily defeated by a mirror?

Where is the logic in that?

 

[Urwumpe]

Just another weapon of "democracy", i guess.

Though, is it true that it it doesn't need ammo?

Yes. It is a solid state laser and not a chemical laser.

And weapons have no political alignment, no weapon ever voted.

So the yanks developed a weapon that can be easily defeated by a mirror?

Where is the logic in that?

Simple: Perfect mirrors don't exist. A mirror that helps you against one kind of laser, could be fully absorbing for another wavelength.

A bit of dirt, rain or scratches and your mirror is useless as well.

(Something that they have in common with IR missile detectors)

 

[Ghostrider]

So the yanks developed a weapon that can be easily defeated by a mirror?

Where is the logic in that?

No mirror can reflect 100% of the incoming light, and a .01% will be enough to distort the surface so that the rest of the discharge will burn through. If you want to survive a laser discharge, you need ablative protection or particulate smokescreens. One will absorb the energy, the other will scatter the beam.

The laser will, however, require some form of "ammo" - electricity.

But why are laser weapons any news? Didn't Rheinmetall test one in Switzerland a while ago?

 

[Urwumpe]

But why are laser weapons any news? Didn't Rheinmetall test one in Switzerland a while ago?

Rheinmetall tested an stationary anti-mortar/anti-missile laser in Switzerland, based partially on the Skyguard system.

This one is similar, but at a different scale and with different tasks.

The US one can't engrave "μολὼν λαβέ" on the incoming rockets.

 

[Artlav]

Solid state laser means no material ammo.
Hook it to the ship's reactor for power, and cold external seawater for cooling, and you can fire as long as it takes to run out of targets.
At least, in theory.

Why is it news - did anyone heard of a laser weapon actually entered into a military service before?
It's a first, AFAIK.

Perfect mirrors don't exist.

What about a phase conjugate mirror?
Not only would it reflect the beam from you, but it would also return the beam back to sender in the same tight, atmospheric aberration-defying point that he sent.
Boom, no more laser.

 

[Urwumpe]

It's a first, AFAIK.

The THEL was deployed in Israel. With limited success.

What about a phase conjugate mirror?
Not only would it reflect the beam from you, but it would also return the beam back to sender in the same tight, atmospheric aberration-defying point that he sent.
Boom, no more laser.

Not really something you would want to use outside a lab. Also you again need special materials for reflecting the right wavelength.

 

[Gumok]

Do you think is it possible to damage a satellite in orbit with good enough aiming system?

What about high-energy maser? Why there are so many lasers but not so much masers? Is it too difficult to make such an energetic microwave beam?

 

[Urwumpe]

Do you think is it possible to damage a satellite in orbit with good enough aiming system?

With enough power, yes. But enough power is the big problem. You have to get through at least 150 km dense atmosphere. Generally, you will rather have a few hundred or even thousand km distance from laser to satellite. What started as small spot of a laser beam, will be multiple dozen meters wide at the satellite and the energy per square meter a lot smaller.

What about high-energy maser? Why there are so many lasers but not so much masers? Is it too difficult to make such an energetic microwave beam?

It is harder to focus the microwave beams, because of the longer wavelength.