LASERs In Action ??
 

This is a very incredible video clip from Northrup-Grumman:

http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=...42925735782908



What do you think ???

wow,
 

Pretty amazing piece of hardware. Cant help but make you wonder how the future will shape itself.


-Tet

MTHEL is an off-shoot (no pun intended) of the laser testbed at HELSTF, which is run by the Army Space Program Office, which is a sub-unit of US Army Space and Missile Defence Command. Did you notice the Israeli flag at the end of the clip? Guess who's a very active partner in testing this weapon system.

That laser ought to be able bring down a "fast mover" , unless he is NOE. I recall reading something some time ago where one of our pilots was claiming permanent damage (maybe retina) from being targeted by someones laser, or phased array mirror setup. Anybody else remember the incident?

Terry

Terry:

Russian ship burned a USN Helicopter pilot andf a Canadian observer in WA State, IIRC.

Agree about its potential against a/c.

Looked like Yuma or Bliss (WSMR).

TR

TR:

Right you are, we have to consider how we are going to defeat the system once it's used against us. Everybody can't fly/stay NOE all the time. We will be vulnerable to producing our own collateral damage, even with retarded weapons. I used to fly through my own secondaries, and had mud all over the A/C a time or two from pickling rockets too low and too close to the target. My CO wasn't very understanding, even when I explained I chose the only way to knock out the target in question:

Terry

The PLO?

OH, you means who is shooting it, I follow you now. :D

More information here

http://www.popularmechanics.com/scie...ts/print.phtml

I remember the incident, IIRC we also boarded the ship looking for the laser which most likely ended up on the bottom of the ocean.

TS

(Why shoot down fast movers when you can permanently blind a pilot in a fraction of a second?)

I was under the impression that a gold flake visor can defeat the laser. Wouldn't be that difficult to fit those to helmets. Costly, but not when you compair it to the price of a toilet seat for the air force. :D

I totally agree, and was thinking about the same thing earlier...Some type of deflection/mirrored device to deflect the beam, would seem a necessity. Must be someone working on it as we speak.

Terry

More importantly, think of the potential of a high engery laser weapon a bit...higher up. ;)

Lt. Jack Daly

Actually it takes very little laser energy to cause permanent retina damage. Very common systems like AN/GVS-5 have NOHD's (Nominal Occular Hazard Distance) greater than 2km vs the naked eye, greatly increased if the viewer is using unshielded optics. Proper shielding can reduce or eliminate the problem, but protective lenses are either wavelength specific or extremely dark causing greatly reduced vision. With dedicated blinding weapons, as opposed to simply accidental exposure, the only real solution is a non direct viewing device, essentially daytime NOD's. No direct path to eyes=protection. S/F....Ken M