U.S. Army hails success with drone-shooting laser

[KRAIT]

TheU.S. Armysaid its latest defense technology — a vehicle-mounted laser — has passed a recent test with flying colors, successfully shooting a drone from the sky and intercepting and destroying several mortar rounds.

The laser, dubbed the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, and placed atop a military vehicle, hit more than 90 mortar bombs, as well as several drones, during a six-week test period conducted in New Mexico at the White Sands Missile Range, Agency France-Presse reported.
The technology probably won’t be completely operational and ready for mission until 2022, because developers are going to be working on increasing the power and range of the lasers. And theArmystill has decide whether or not to buy the system, officials said to AFP.

But the technology is proving top-notch and could go far in helping to protect troops from mortar, artillery or rocket fire, said oneBoeingofficial.

“The system is capable of rapidly acquiring with the radar these very small targets and point a laser beam about the size of a quarter and destroy the targets while they’re flying,” said Mike Rim, a program manager atBoeing, in the AFP report.

Improvements to the system will enable it to take down objects that are moving at faster speeds than mortar rounds — like cruise missiles, the military officials told AFP.



Read more:U.S. Army hails success with drone-shooting laser - Washington Times

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I don't think the big thing was that it destroyed targets with a laser since they could do that 6 years ago. I think they were showing that they now don't have to rely on being hardwired to the local electricity grid. It now is in a mobile truck and can be driven anywhere.

 

[Falcon29]

I don't think the big thing was that it destroyed targets with a laser since they could do that 6 years ago. I think they were showing that they now don't have to rely on being hardwired to the local electricity grid. It now is in a mobile truck and can be driven anywhere.

This is unfair, LOL!

Technology is moving at a fast rate. It's like that guy who has single core processor and is known to have the best computer in town only to find out a smartphone has more processing power.

 

[elis]

Israel didn't invent this and of course will have all for free

Genius of the science my ***

 

[Falcon29]

Israel didn't invent this and of course will have all for free

Genius of the science my ***

We better not give this technology to Israel.

 

[Oldman1]

This is unfair, LOL!

Technology is moving at a fast rate. It's like that guy who has single core processor and is known to have the best computer in town only to find out a smartphone has more processing power.

It was massive back then.

And now...

Forgot to include the U.S. Navy has their own program.

 

[Falcon29]

It was massive back then.

And now...

Forgot to include the U.S. Navy has their own program.

I wonder how our next tank project will look like.

This laser program is funny because during the Cold War we claimed to have such technology and the Russians believed it. It served as a deterrence even though we didn't have it.

Now, about 40 years later the thing actually works. However what do you think it's purely based for? Can it target fast moving aircraft? This is our answer to a missile defense system...?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This is unfair, LOL!

Wait until they miniature it down to UAV size. Then we can say hello to Skynet.

 

[Developereo]

Reminds me of an old article by Dave Barry...

http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/Perl/Misc/electricity.txt

scientists have developed the laser, an electronic appliance so powerful that it can vaporize a bulldozer 2000 yards away, yet so precise that doctors can use it to perform delicate operations to the human eyeball, provided they remember to change the power setting from "Bulldozer" to "Eyeball."

 

[Oldman1]

I wonder how our next tank project will look like.

This laser program is funny because during the Cold War we claimed to have such technology and the Russians believed it. It served as a deterrence even though we didn't have it.

Now, about 40 years later the thing actually works. However what do you think it's purely based for? Can it target fast moving aircraft? This is our answer to a missile defense system...?

Development of lasers has been going on for decades. But they were just too big, complex and expensive at the time. We had them but it just wasn't practical. Technology just improved.

Don't know about the new M1a3 tank.

And yes it can target fast moving aircraft.

 

[Falcon29]

Development of lasers has been going on for decades. But they were just too big, complex and expensive at the time. We had them but it just wasn't practical. Technology just improved.

Don't know about the new M1a3 tank.

And yes it can target fast moving aircraft.

Oh ok...have you seen the streets out today? I live in Michigan and the streets are hella fun I was drifting my way to Tim Hortons. ROFLMAO!

Check it out if you know how control a sliding car.

 

[elis]

We better not give this technology to Israel.

But they will, USA s their unconditionnal slave
They give F22, F35 everything Israel wants

 

[Black Stone]

This is great

 

[A.Rafay]

Congrats to USA!

 

[TruthSeeker]

HEL-MD takes out mortars and UAVs with vehicle-mounted laser

By Darren Quick

December 12, 2013

The tests involved a 10-kW class laser, however, this will be replaced by a 50-kW laser in the future before that is in turn upgraded to a 100-kW class laser for subsequent demonstrations. Supporting thermal and power subsystems will also be upgraded to meet the needs of the increasingly powerful solid-state lasers, which officials say will increase the effective range of the laser and decrease the amount of time the laser will need to stay on target.

HEL-MD takes out mortars and UAVs with vehicle-mounted laser