Ship-Mounted Laser Weapon Incinerates a UAV in Flight

[GoFlyKiteNow]

Raytheon's Ship-Mounted Laser Weapon Incinerates a UAV in Flight

A Rendering of Raytheon's Laser Weapon System A Raytheon-U.S. Navy team is working to add a solid-state laser to the Phalanx Close-in Weapon System. Raytheon

Raytheon revealed its next-gen directed energy weapon at the Farnborough Air Show today, releasing video showing its Laser Weapons System (LaWS) -- a six-laser weapon that focuses on a single target -- engaging and then destroying an unmanned aerial vehicle from the deck of a Navy vessel at sea.

The tests, conducted in May and June, show the LaWS illuminating and then heating the underside of a drone aircraft shortly before it goes up in flames and loses trajectory, plummeting into the ocean below. Guided by Raytheon's Laser Close-in Weapon System (CIWS), a sensor suite that locks onto and guides the energy weapon, LaWS shot down three similar drones during the tests, which mark the first time a solid-state laser has shot down an aircraft on the wing over open seas.

There are three significant parts to this story. First, it's important to note that LaWS is a solid-state laser rather than a chemical laser, which means it's not quite so hazardous to handle and requires less energy to use. It's also smaller, which makes it a lot more feasible to pack onto a naval vessel. Second, solid-state lasers are generally weaker than chemical lasers, and that problem is compounded by the moist air in ocean climates, as that moisture can absorb laser energy and weaken the beam. So proving this solid-state technology can work at sufficient strengths over the ocean is a serious milestone.

But most importantly, Raytheon demonstrated that a laser integrated into the Navy's Phalanx anti-missile defense system -- a weapons system already mounted on many naval vessels -- can hit a moving target from the deck of a ship, which itself is moving and rolling along with the ocean. That's pretty sharp shooting, and it could arm U.S. seamen with a greatly enhanced last line of defense during aerial and ballistic missile warfare at sea.

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

This is Star Wars coming to real life.

 

[Microsoft]

RSAF open hse 50 yrs frm now...Got dis type of toy 2 play i sign on...

 

[longbow]

Problem is UAV are getting smaller and smaller and thus more difficult to track. Then they can be utilized in greater numbers. The enemy seeing your laser firing from your ship can easily lop a missile right onto your flight deck. I would imagine the laser beam would like like a huge arrow pointing to where the ship is. With a group of UAV, they can easily triangulate your position, relay to waiting sub or aircraft and away the missile goes.

Going forward, I think it will be increasingly difficult for the US to engage big countries like China, India, Pakistan, etc on their turf. US can only go after small 3rd world countries.

For example to project power, US needs huge carrier fleet, submarines. But once they come close to Chinese coast that advantage rapidly falls due to Chinese home advantage. Chinese could launch battery power subs with short range but very quiet. It is tough to make a quiet long range nuclear sub but not that difficult to make an electric diesel sub. Likewise as they approach the coast their fleet becomes open to increasingly advanced coastal defenses. Operating from land they have next to unlimited resources to keep going after you. And technology is such that it may bot be as easy as bombing Saddam's army.

Your carrier group needs refueling or your aircraft needs fuel. No way China can project that kind of power but they only need 1/10 the capability to defeat the enemy.

Just look at war in Iraq, afghanistan. US is spending close to $100B a year to project a 130K force in afghanistan. The enemy at most is spending $100M or less and they are holding back US. In 10 years they would have bankrupted the US treasury or melted the resolve.

The way wars are fought has changed.

 

[singveld]

another words, when it is raining or foggy it is a just bright touch light. totally useless weapon.

 

[halsey02]

another words, when it is raining or foggy it is a just bright touch light. totally useless weapon.

You never heard the word GPRS??? just key in the co-ordinates...you need to see the target?

 

[singveld]

You never heard the word GPRS??? just key in the co-ordinates...you need to see the target?

General packet radio service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data service available to all users of the 2G cellular communication systems global system for mobile communications (GSM),



what the hell are you talking?

 

[johnny333]

..... totally useless weapon.

Ahh, sounds like something that will interest some paper generals in you know where

 

[GoFlyKiteNow]

Problem is UAV are getting smaller and smaller and thus more difficult to track. Then they can be utilized in greater numbers. The enemy seeing your laser firing from your ship can easily lop a missile right onto your flight deck. I would imagine the laser beam would like like a huge arrow pointing to where the ship is. With a group of UAV, they can easily triangulate your position, relay to waiting sub or aircraft and away the missile goes.


The way wars are fought has changed.

The velocity of the laser beam is 300,000,000 / Sec
The speed of a missile is 1500 m / sec
A factor of 200,000 times.

Before the missile can even leave its launch pad on the plane or UAV, the laser beam would have destroyed the platform. Secondly, the laser would have destroyed the missile in flight in a blink of an eye.

There is no comparison !.
This laser gun is a game changer. No powder ammunition, no warheads, no smoke or ordnance to worry about or even carry around as supplies or as spare ammunition. The deployment logistics alone is worth the advantage.

And on top of it this is a solid state laser. Not the heavy chemical based laser. That is even more impressive.

Like I said,, this laser weapon is a total game changer.
It gives the USA a giant leap in advantage.
Most of all, it makes other nations weaponry obsolete or redundant.
Like what the gun did to the bow and arrow during the wild west era.
.

 

[halsey02]

General packet radio service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data service available to all users of the 2G cellular communication systems global system for mobile communications (GSM),



what the hell are you talking?

Satelllite guidance system....you think they cant use the GPRS...you need to see the target...or is it they going to get a man to stand on the 'bird nest' on 'monkey island'...with a binoculars??

 

[KennyMGM]

u refer to GPS system mate. !

GPRS is used in mobile fone for data transmission.