Military laser brings 'Star Wars' reality closer

I couldn't find anything on here about this, CNN just published this story. Sounds interesting/dangerous all at the same time!

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- A U.S. Pentagon invention could make air combat resemble a battle scene from the movie 'Star Wars' with a laser so small it can fit on a fighter jet, yet powerful enough to knock down an enemy missile in flight

FULL STORY LINK= www.cnn.com...

Here is anotehr link with more info as well.

www.darpa.mil...

Add this to the sources:

photonics.ga.com...
photonics.ga.com...
www.photonics.com...

cool.

Sounds like its the wave of the future to me.

grant it a 1 KW laser is weak, for comparison, there is a 10KW laser mounted on a Hummer in Iraq called Zues, its used to blow up munitions.

There future planned 15KW, is powerful enough to do smallish tasks, like what Zues does, or keep birds off runways (hehehe) sounds like a win, win situation, no birds on runways, and the homeless get free food.

The 150KW one will be interesting, i'de assume that one will go on things like the C-130. But still, it ain't got nothin on the ABL's badass 1 MW.

Thanks for the additional links frostry...good read!

Sorry, but I already posted this story here at 6:32AM today:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Roflol



Take a look at C&C Generals Zero Hour, the laser general has something like the Hummer with a laser beam attatched to its head (how long before sharks get them?). I have also seen a show on Discovery where they have like a 1 MW laser shoot bombs and missiles out of the sky. It's fairly cool, but I think its gonna be expensive to mount larger lasers on vehicular platforms. It would be cool for a tank to have a laser that can shoot down RPG's and rockets, though.

Sorry, for some reason you thread didnt come up in a search. I will let a mod know they need to delete/close mine

MOD notified

thanks everyone.

[edit on 24-8-2005 by 12 12 2012]