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fighter jets with lasers are closer than you might think.

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posted on May, 22 2015 @ 02:44 PM
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The US Air Force want to be able to fire lasers from airborne platforms by 2023. Being tested later this year at White Sands, the HEL (High Energy Laser) is what the Air Force hopes can be developed into a offensive as well as defensive weapon system that can eventually be fitted to a wide range of craft from C-17's to F-35's.
They are working on better tracking of targets and hope to be able to defeat incoming missiles, or be able to hit small targets in a CAS role. The weapon is said to be able to fire thousands of shots from just the energy stored in a few gallons of jet fuel.



The Air Force plans to be able to incinerate targets such as incoming missiles with laser weapons mounted on C-17s by 2023 as part of a directed energy developmental effort, service official said.
The High Energy Laser, or HEL, is being tested by the Air Force Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Ground tests are slated for later this year as part of a plan to precede air-launched laser weapons firing evaluations, Mica Endsley, Air Force Chief Scientist, told Military​.com in an interview.
The first ever ground test of the weapon is slated to take place at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., said Othana Zuch, an Air Force spokeswoman.
Service officials are working on a solid-state laser guidance mechanism and focus so the weapon can stay on track on a particular target.
“We’re working on maturing a lot of those kinds of technologies,” Endsley said. “We will be transitioning into airborne platforms to get them ready to go into a program of record by 2023.”


Read more: defensetech.org...
Defense.org




“We want to put those capabilities in to a system that will move from something like 10 kilowatts up to 100 kilowatts — up to greater power. We will work on things like guidance, control and precision,” she said.
Energy to fire aircraft lasers is engineered to come from on-board jet fuel to potentially enable thousands of shots, Endsley added.
“The real advantage is it would have a much more extended magazine. Today’s have five, six, seven missiles. With a directed energy weapon you could have thousands of shots with a gallon of gasoline – a gallon of jet fuel,” she said.


Read more: defensetech.org...
Defense.org




defensetech.org...
edit on 22-5-2015 by Sammamishman because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 02:54 PM
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General Atomics has a fiber optic last that is small enough to fit on a UAV that's ready for flight testing.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 02:59 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Planes with lasers are almost as cool as sharks with lasers.


Do you know what the power output of that laser is?

I can see a day in the not too distant future where lasers will start to replace short range offensive missile or even SDB's for ground targets.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:02 PM
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If anyone saw the new "Ender's Game" movie I believe they were flying around in what looked like F-22's or F-35's with lasers in the opening battle.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:08 PM
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originally posted by: MystikMushroom
If anyone saw the new "Ender's Game" movie I believe they were flying around in what looked like F-22's or F-35's with lasers in the opening battle.


now THAT is a DANGER ZONE lol.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:20 PM
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a reply to: Sammamishman

Pew Pew Pew





Someone had to post it



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:40 PM
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a reply to: Sammamishman

It's relatively low right now. They chain them together for power. A single unit is 75 kw, they can be chained to 150 or 300 kw.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:48 PM
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a reply to: Sammamishman

Well someone just has to ask, so it might as well be herself, lol. I know about small skin lasers for hair removal and the like but does this weapon really have to have the 'high energy' qualifier in front of its name? C'mon, we have to assume that if used as weapons that they are indeed high energy, don't we? An oxymoron? Or perhaps it's so that the arms manufacturers can brand it with a cool deadly-sounding acronym like HEL? If so they are seriously messed up present or former gamers. They could have called it ALL (for Air Launched lasers) just as easily, imo, but warmongers like to use tough talk to appeal to the war lovers. Will it ever stop?



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:53 PM
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a reply to: aboutface

There's a self defense system that people frequently mistake for a weapon that's actually fairly low energy. It's designed to blind missiles that track on infrared energy.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 03:57 PM
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You can't stop the march of technology it seems. It is quite scary to think about, I mean we all know what happens when a fighter shoots a round right? It hits a target or it just misses, its flight trajectory decays and it finally falls to the ground, at a much reduced velocity. At least I think that is the idea.

What happens to a laser bolt that misses?



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:01 PM
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a reply to: Jonjonj

It either attenuates down through atmospheric disruption or burns the ground.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:01 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Interesting. What happens to the missile when it's blinded?



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:02 PM
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a reply to: aboutface

It goes straight ahead until it runs out of fuel and explodes, or it realizes it's lost the target and detonates trying to hit it, depending on the missile.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:06 PM
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a reply to: cavtrooper7

Thank you, but if it were parallel let us say, would it just...run out of energy? Or more to the point, if it were aimed slightly downwards, I assume it would be at light speed or near enough, would it hold power many many miles from the event? Could it randomly just blast a hole through a person in another country from the theatre in which it is engaged?
You can tell I have no real clue here.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:12 PM
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a reply to: Jonjonj

The moisture in the atmosphere would eventually degrade the power of the beam ,also it is focused at a particual target like a magnifying glass amplifies the sun. A further distance would be out of focus so the beam would be spread.

Thank you for FINALLY ligitimizing my original GI bill for a degree in Fiber optics laser systems,before my memory forgets it all

edit on 22-5-2015 by cavtrooper7 because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:16 PM
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a reply to: cavtrooper7

Thanks for your answer and glad to be of service.




posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:19 PM
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a reply to: Jonjonj

It dissipates in the atmosphere. That's one of the problems they have with an anti ICBM laser. To hit a missile in the lift phase they have to be almost on top of it because too far away the beam loses too much power to get through the skin of the missile.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:27 PM
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What comes next, force shields or warp drive? I feel like I live in an episode of Star Trek now. On another note the Romulan Ale is paarticularly good this evening.
edit on 22-5-2015 by Nickn3 because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:30 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Thank you too for that information. I am glad that that is the case really, as I was thinking that it could really cause a lot of problems, stray fire etc.



posted on May, 22 2015 @ 04:42 PM
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a reply to: Jonjonj

Particle beams on the other hand...
edit on 22-5-2015 by cavtrooper7 because: (no reason given)




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