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ATHENA Laser Pew Pews a truck out of existence at a range of one mile

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posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:03 AM
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phys.org...

look at that picture. it looks like something done by a Cylon raider or something.



edit on 5-3-2015 by stormbringer1701 because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:08 AM
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Lockheed Martin's 30-kilowatt fiber laser weapon system successfully disabled the engine of a small truck during a recent field test, demonstrating the rapidly evolving precision capability to protect military forces and critical infrastructure.

Known as ATHENA, for Advanced Test High Energy Asset, the ground-based prototype system burned through the engine manifold in a matter of seconds from more than a mile away. The truck was mounted on a test platform with its engine and drive train running to simulate an operationally-relevant test scenario.


Nice find, S&F!





edit on 5-3-2015 by Elton because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:15 AM
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I understand the need for a test like this, but I kind of wonder how "operationally-relevant" it really was. Yes, the laser is capable of this. But I imagine when the laser is mounted to a fast-moving aircraft, and the truck is driving around, rather than being propped so as to be a larger, immobile target, that it'll be significantly harder to keep that beam focused directly on the engine for the few seconds required.

Amazing technology, though, no matter how one looks at it. Quite troubling, as well.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:22 AM
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phys.org

Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the University of Notre Dame, has demonstrated the airworthiness of a new beam control turret being developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and AFRL to give 360-degree coverage for high-energy laser weapons operating on military aircraft. A research aircraft equipped with the Aero-adaptive Aero-optic Beam Control (ABC) turret conducted eight flights in Michigan.



The ABC turret system is designed to allow high-energy lasers to engage enemy aircraft and missiles above, below and behind the aircraft. Lockheed Martin's flow control and optical compensation technologies counteract the effects of turbulence caused by the protrusion of a turret from an aircraft's fuselage.


Looks like they are working on an aircraft mounted version as well...



edit on 5-3-2015 by Elton because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:23 AM
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originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance
I understand the need for a test like this, but I kind of wonder how "operationally-relevant" it really was. Yes, the laser is capable of this. But I imagine when the laser is mounted to a fast-moving aircraft, and the truck is driving around, rather than being propped so as to be a larger, immobile target, that it'll be significantly harder to keep that beam focused directly on the engine for the few seconds required.

Amazing technology, though, no matter how one looks at it. Quite troubling, as well.
well you would be right if the aiming tech was based on prisms mirrors physical turrets with motors and hydraulics. but now Lasers can be aimed by constructive and destructive interference or frequency or phase shifting. this means aiming requires no moving parts and takes place at the speed of electricity in circuits.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:28 AM
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well to be more precise those aiming techs are being developed now. it means a laser will be like the phaser weapons of the enterprise D in STNG. emitters instead of turrets. but you need weapon grade slab and fiber lasers. which this demonstrates that they have.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:34 AM
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a reply to: stormbringer1701

Yeah,

Great title.

Lasers....we got them bitches

It is rather interesting that what was dreamed only decades ago is a reality today. Star trek with communicators, "kirik to enterprise" became "do you hear me now"... Star wars became star wars and pew pew became dead trucks.

We got lasers people. Fracking lasers.

yeah-


edit on 3 5 2015 by tadaman because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:51 AM
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a reply to: stormbringer1701

I think this will definitely have it's uses, but not really an offensive weapon.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 02:54 AM
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i welcome them. whats worse? a weapon that can precisely target what needs to be squished or one that in order to get what must be squished you have to devastate the entire city or countryside around it?

or what is worse? an atom bomb about to annihilate the city where your family and friends live or a laser that pokes a hole in the bomb before it can impact or detonate and which kills nothing else but the bomb. a laser is just a fancy bullet. one that limits death and destruction but if misused isn't any different in scope from a lead ball.


If you are a pacifist or bleeding heart of any type you should love the laser as the ultimate weapon of peace.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 03:06 AM
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incidently; slab fiber and other similar developments are what made it possible to get rid of massive cooling systems and thus shrinking laser weapons form 747 sized affairs down to fighter jet sized affairs. they also make it easy to scale up the power output of an overall laser system. the power out put of each laser element may be low but you can add as many together as you like and because they are low power they have less waste heat. also they are more efficient which means less power to create the same output. which shrinks the footprint even more than just the loss/reduction of cooling equipment.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 03:20 AM
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You seem to have more than a general, passing knowledge of this sort of thing.What you said about aiming systems is absolutely correct to. I'm aware (of the general concepts, at least) of the sort of systems that would be used to aim this sort of thing, when mounted to aircraft, but I don't think that technology is yet at a level where planes are going to be taking out trucks with lasers any time soon. Who knows, though? I could be wrong.

Mirrors and hydraulics would be hilarious, though, paired with a sophisticated laser system.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 03:30 AM
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I love to read those big ole Star Wars guides to weaponry, ships, etc. The lasers, particle beam weapons (blasters) seem to have been developed over centuries if not millennia. It seems that we are moving along quite rapidly. As someone pointed out in a previous post the systems have gone from 747 sized to fast mover size. I'm sure if Lando would sell us some Tibanna gas we would REALLY be talking.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 04:02 AM
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incidently the old ABL did use a turret, mirrors, prisms and actuators. due to the range they were expected to operate and the beam power the laser had to be held on the target for several seconds while the target was in flight and the shooting platform was in flight. it was just on the edge of doable. the ABL was cancelled due to extreme vulnerability of the otherwise unarmed slow huge platform, the range was almost too short for the system to be able to perform it's expected role. it was actually unacceptable in fact.

but along with the advances i have posted earlier; techniques have arisen to eliminate shimmer and bloom and divergence problems related to atmosphere and atmospheric conditions.

lasers no longer need fear sea mist, fog light rain, smoke, bloom and so forth.

the weapon main beam can be preceded accompanied by and followed by lower strength bracketing beams that clear the way and also squeeze the main beam whether the beam is a laser or a particle beam.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 04:18 AM
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Pew pew,lol. Dead Space 2 anyone?



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 04:49 AM
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I see dead Zeppelins



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 05:45 AM
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and now for the million dollar question , does it work from a satellite and used for demolition ?



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 05:56 AM
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When they show you this hand watch what's in the other hand... like this....cheniere.org... See what you've been missing!



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 08:28 AM
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a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Other laser platforms have been tested on fast moving missiles, rockets, mortars and other high speed projectiles. These objects are not only smaller than a pickup, but MUCH faster moving. There is no reason therefore, to think that a mere pickup truck would present a tracking and targeting problem for a laser system with a decent targeting package. That said, mobile laser technology for the battlefield, as opposed to in the aerial defence field, will really come into its own when one can use it to open up a heavy tank with the same relative ease as one might open a can of Tuna, or sweetcorn.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 08:41 AM
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I would have been nice had they mentioned how long it took to disable the truck.



posted on Mar, 5 2015 @ 08:43 AM
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a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Aiming even at high speeds and altitudes not hard at all. Especially with lazors. Our precision aiming systems been able to do this for decades.




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