New Laser Weapon Blasts Spy Drones Out of the Sky

New Laser Weapon Blasts
Spy Drones Out of the Sky

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b8f1f49a5bc2.jpeg[/atsimg]

Raytheon today touted its new weapon, which brought down
four drones over the Pacific Ocean during tests conducted with the U.S.
Navy this spring.

The test involved tracking the drones with sensors used as part of a
Raytheon-built ship defense system, and then destroying the aircraft
using a high-powered fiber laser.

"The Raytheon-Navy team demonstrated the systems' capability to
detect, track, engage and defeat dynamic targets at tactically significant
ranges in a maritime environment," Taylor W. Lawrence, president of
Raytheon Missile Systems, said in a statement.

www.aolnews.com...

I wonder how long it will take to make a
land based mobile version of this to be
used on the battlefield?

Nothing beats the speed of light.

Originally posted by __rich__
Nothing beats the speed of light.

lol
unless it's a black hole

reply to post by boondock-saint


Who says they don't have it already?

2nd Line

Video here:

Looks like fairly close range. But...um...cool!

Anyone gonna give me odds that this video shows up as a triangle UFO getting shot down?

[edit on 7/19/2010 by Phage]

Originally posted by Phage

Anyone gonna give me odds that this video shows up as a triangle UFO getting shot down?

[edit on 7/19/2010 by Phage]

I can just imagine the title of the thread: "UFO vs UFO Dogfight"

on a serious note however, I do recall reading that they are already working on the land-based version.

Originally posted by boondock-saint

Originally posted by __rich__
Nothing beats the speed of light.

lol
unless it's a black hole

Or a tachyon.

I've always wondered when it comes to laser weapons: What happens if your opponent has a mirrior?

reply to post by Falken


Yeah they did already build a land based one in the back of a remote controlled humvee. I read about it in Discovery magizine a while ago, said they wouldn't be used in the field till 2012

reply to post by boondock-saint


Question: Are the sensors inside the drones or is the laser system detecting them with a type of radar???

reply to post by GenRadek


It most likely would burn right through, mirrors have a limit as to how much light energy they can reflect

I wonder if focused light can penetrate atmosphere? Isn't the best tech already reading 8" by 11" text from space? I mean, we can already see a page in the public sector.

How long until they have space-based target systems and firing platforms disguised as weather satellites?

And would that put "assets" in the obsolete bin? Was this Washington Post disclosure their way of trimming the fat or cutting off loose ends with insurance?

Almost gives brainstorming a whole new perspective, and makes one want to get rid of all their fantabulous iGPS targe...uhm...communication units.

Just the mere chance of it is probably worth our attention, but who wants to think of such things?

EDIT: LOL GenRadek, are you thinking about the same movie I am?

[edit on 19-7-2010 by lagnar]

Originally posted by rangersdad
Question: Are the sensors inside the drones or is the laser system
detecting them with a type of radar???

the detecting sensors are in the weapon itself.
I doubt this type of article will reveal how the
tracking works since it's probably classified.

However, for the laser to function unobstructed,
there would have to be a direct line of sight of the
target. But no details on the max range of the weapon.

reply to post by boondock-saint


The tracking system is the real secret. It's probably an optical system but it has to keep the beam on the target long enough to burn it. The target was flying straight line, slowly, so it wasn't really tough. Evasive maneuvers and higher speeds would make it tougher.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by boondock-saint

 

The tracking system is the real secret. It's probably an optical system but it has to keep the beam on the target long enough to burn it. The target was flying straight line, slowly, so it wasn't really tough. Evasive maneuvers and higher speeds would make it tougher.

another thing to note:
how would a pilot even know this weapon
was being used on his plane???
If it's not radar then there is no
countermeasure like with chaff or flares, etc....

Does he just get a really HOTT seat all of a sudden
then go into afterburners and evasive. It would be
hard to detect IMO until it was too late.

reply to post by boondock-saint

A manned aircraft would be normally be dealt with long before it got close enough for the laser (in it's current state of development) to do much. As it is now, the system may be useful for threats within visual range (like a URV).

At greater ranges, against larger and tougher targets, the laser would have to be much more powerful, the targeting system much better than required here, and the beam would have to be held on the target for a longer period of time. It's not difficult to detect laser radiation (with the proper sensors) and a quick manuever on the part of the pilot would likely be able to break the track.

It will become a formidable fleet defense system though, no doubt.



[edit on 7/19/2010 by Phage]

I thought laser weapons are prohibited. Am I wrong?

reply to post by Etherguide

Space based weapons are prohibited. On the ground, anything goes. Well, biologicals, nukes and chemicals are frowned upon.


[edit on 7/19/2010 by Phage]

reply to post by boondock-saint


I ask because if the sensors are in the test drones, then it would be a lousy test of a new weapon system. But if the weapon system can detect drones and or missiles (which is most likely the real reason) then it might be a decent weapon...