USAF Posts RFP for a Laser Weapon Demo for Unspecified Aircraft

Could it be for the F-35 using B model airframes with the lift fan and gearbox removed? I seem to remember intelgurl mentioning something about that years ago, I dont think it was a particularly secret development though.

a reply to: thebozeian

I don't think they're at the point where they want to remove active airframes for that yet, if it goes ahead. Maybe once they have more than two non training squadrons stood up.

originally posted by: deltalima74
a reply to: RadioRobert

One of my ATF movies from my childhood. It convinced me I could be a laser scientist (that's what I thought they were called)... Instead, I almost electrocuted myself and blew half the breakers in my house. Pro Tip, don't take apart electronics without knowing what each component does, and especially don't plug it back in. #TrueStory LMFAO

Good thing you didn't end up in the Jurassic.

lol.

There is this that seems to work.

en.wikipedia.org...

originally posted by: anzha
The second oddity?

What aircraft are they building this for? This isn't the laser for SHIELD (the 50 kw self defense laser to shoot down missiles). Nor is this the AC-130 laser AFAIK. This is for something else. Or so it would see.

But what aircraft IS this for?

Let the speculations begin.

"Airborne vehicle" could Point to an UAV rather than aircraft. Something in the realm of NGAD/PCA is another possiblity, but i dont think they are this far along already.

Im betting its for a COIN light aircraft/A10 replacement.Pony anyone?

This post just kind of blew my mind. I used to live 10 minutes from Eglin. In 2011, my son and I were outside at dusk. We saw this weird pulsing light - just above tree-level (from our perspective). We were watching it, trying to figure out what the heck it was, for several minutes.

Then, we noticed there were about 15 F-15s (I think that’s what they were) flying in the near vicinity. That stumped us further. We discussed somewhat jokingly, somewhat semi-seriously, whether the pulsing light object could be alien in origin... as it was really unique. At the time, we weren’t oblivious to the fact that was a “crazy” idea but the combination of its uniqueness plus the fighter jets made the “impossible” seem not so much so.

Well, after a couple of minutes, one of the jets started flying up toward the light in a definite zigzag pattern. My son says, “Mom... what if that thing is a craft and not friendly?” I laughed and said, “There’s got to be... (some other explanation)...” but I didn’t get the whole sentence out because - for lack of a better way to say it - a laser beam of some kind comes from the object directed to the jet. The jet loses quite a bit of altitude rapidly but doesn’t crash. I did not see what happened next because in that instant, for a few moments, I was “convinced” some sort of invasion had started and screamed for my son to get inside and ran inside myself.

Believe me... I KNOW how ridiculous that sounds but in that moment and a period after, the event was so strange, I just wasn’t sure what else it could be. Again, I rushed my son inside, slammed the door and waited. I truly did know my original thoughts about what we saw seemed “crazy” but it just defied normal explanations in my mind. I didn’t “do anything” per se right then. I honestly expected - and just kept waiting and watching - for something to be on the news.

When it wasn’t, the next day I called the base and kept getting transferred to so many different departments I just gave up. Over that week, we came to accept / realize if must have been an AFB test of something. It sounds like this RFP is for basically the same kind of thing - and at Eglin, too. Although, it’s still a bit confusing because what we saw was 7 years ago. Still, interesting nonetheless.

a reply to: network dude

Awww but the technology would be there to make it pew-pew.

a reply to: nicevillegrl

Well, having lived in FWB from mid last year through december, then in pcola from 2015-mid 2017 I've seen my fair share of the same type of stuff you're talking about. Not gonna lie, its a bit different for what your eyes are willing to accept when you're drunk as a skunk versus sober. Eglin and even a bit further south on 98 (1st SOC) has some pretty cool stuff though and some of their more interesting tests happen in the dead of night.

a reply to: kingofyo1

Yep. True. I lived in the FWB area for 40 years and had seen some... different... things up to that point but nothing like this. Well, except for the one time when we saw "miniature stealth planes" (in 2004) that were the size of large birds but were obviously "mechanical" (which of course, later became 'public' as drones).

In this situation, I have to admit that week and for a few after, I could hardly sleep and was watching the sky A LOT. Once we were looking - lol - saw several other 'odd' things too. That was what came to contribute to/solidify our belief that "the laser" (as we came to call it) was likely military in origin.

(And P.S. I am always stone-cold, sober now - lol. No fun I know... but my 20's and 30's were a little crazy growing up in that area.)

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

There have been many companies working on laser tech for the military for years. They've posted enough videos of their testing against various things. They don't need to shop around to grab tech.

I've got some stealth tech I can sell you. Oh no wait, I can't, I have a letter from the government saying I cannot export the tech or further develop it, after they grabbed it. Oops, bin there, done that, got the "t-shirt."

Cheers - Dave

i know someone who works in optics at bausch and lomb in town and all of a sudden he stopped talking about his work and got a very nice new house and car.


he worked on lens manufacturing.


i asked him once simi jokingly about ground lens's in space(something i saw here), and he didn't think it was a joke apparently as we haven't gotten drinks in a while.

a reply to: bobs_uruncle
I believe what you are eluding to is known as a "born secret" (sounds like a Robert Ludlam novel but spelt differently). Bedlam who is often seen around this forum and a few others wrote a very interesting dissertation on the whole process from multiple personal experiences working for various research projects. It makes for very interesting reading as it all follows a logical process with information being fed from agencies keeping their ear to the ground in academic circles, to the US patent office flagging anything that falls within certain parameters for further scrutiny. And then what avenues a researcher is allowed to take. You can still get rich, you just have limited choices from whom you will make your fortune.

a reply to: nicevillegrl

a few months ago, me and my fam were on the beach on okie island one night and getting ready to pack up and leave when we saw a brilliant orange zigzagging space figure heading north towards VA area. Wife didnt care as much, but I knew exactly what I was seeing and that was one interesting night! once you have proof of hypersonic activity, life gets a bit more interesting

I thought many parts of directed energy weapons were "internationally banned" similar to the proliferation of nuclear technology?

That is was fine in a capacity against non human targets but boiling someones organs to death was a bit no-no?

a reply to: Forensick

You can target his fuel tanks but not the cockpit.

a reply to: Forensick
Do you think a bullet in the body is better ?

a reply to: thebozeian

I've known a few people it's happened to. It tends to frustrate the hell out of them.

a reply to: thebozeian

I had a partner that blabbed to DARPA and the testing was being done at two different universities. It was 20 years ago, the whole situation still pisses me off. The worst ip theft I've had though was when I was overseas in charge of a few weapons programs. It's why I know what was available in 1987, I designed it and the military built it, it was quite pretty from an engineering vantage point.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: anzha

I'll just leave this here.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh geez. Steve is the director of HELSTF now...