LaWs has just completed rigorous trials in the Arabian gulf, and the Navy is very impressed.

It is a light 30Kw laser, and costs 59 cents per "shot". Total developmental costs are around 40 million dollars. This is actually quite cheap compared to some other futuristic weapons!

If you don't want to read any of the articles, the navy basically said that it is out of the prototype phase, and onto the production and tinkering phase. The targeting system works, the equipment is rugged enough to survive for 2-3 months at sea, and they plan on boosting future lasers to be 40kw and 50kw variants.

(before the testing)

http://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2013/apr/09/us-navy-laser-cannon-drone-video

(the navy video)

(cnn report)

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/11/tech/innovation/navy-laser-weapon/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

And then HEL MD:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2757171/Boeing-reveals-death-ray-drone-killing-laser-weapon-target-craft-fog-wind-Xbox-controller.html

http://gizmodo.com/this-mortar-hunting-war-truck-just-got-a-powerful-new-l-1482647200

Obviously the most important thing to gain from this report is that the army prefers an american made X-box over the imported PS4.

"The laser makes an incredibly powerful, highly focused beam of light and aims it at a moving target.

The lithium ion batteries that power the HEL MD’s laser are charged by a 60 kW diesel generator, so if the Army can keep the fuel tank full, they can shoot down incoming threats indefinitely.

The system uses a telescope and infrared-based, wide field of view camera to locate and designate targets.

Boeing has designed the system to be operated by a driver and an operator with a laptop and an Xbox controller. "

The demonstrations were with a 10kw laser, just a baby version. Boeing said that the next step is to install a 50-60kw laser to test the energy consumption and work on upgrading the chassis if needed. Then once they reach 100kw lasers they said, it would be ready for sale.

These arent the starwars lasers, its all thermal radiation. It stares at the target, and within a second, the target bursts into flames.

Wasn't there a Free Electron Laser anti-missile system developed at some point?

So, we have gone from the age of shells to the age of planes, where monoplanes launched from the decks of carriers could deliver crippling blows way beyond the range of cannon.

Then we go from the age of planes to the age of missiles, where guided rockets deliver the same ordnance that planes did. It sounds expensive to use a one shot flight machine, but so is losing a reusable aircraft with a pilot with hundreds of hours of training.

Then at the turn of the century, we enter the age of the drones. It combines the best aspects from the previous 2 ages to make an unmanned aircraft that is fully reusable that can carry shorter ranged (and more powerful and cost efficient) missiles.

At that point, there were 4 choices to choose from:

-Go back to the age of shells and mix mini guns with targeting software to shoot down missiles and drones from short range.

-keep developing better and smarter missiles to shoot down missiles with. (Iron dome is the most successful version of this)

-make stronger drones to stay up longer, and blast missile launch sites as they activate

-move onto the next era and develop thermal lasers powerful enough to heat and detonate missiles and shells while they are in flight.

The USA, in its infinite wisdom, chose option E, all of the above. The easiest was the Phoenix? defense system, mounted on most warships today. We basicly funded Israel in developing a way to spend 40,000 dollars to kill a 200 dollar rocket ( but prevent the 200$ rocket from doing hundereds of dollars in damage and fear).

We have very capable drone fleets now thanks to the many wars we have been in, and now we have lasers.

Pretty soon lasers will be able to shoot down cruise missiles and 18" shells, along with fighter jets.

At this rate ships will need to resort to raming each other before too long!

(That is a joke)

But for seriousness, soon ships will rely on lasers to kill other ships because shells and missiles dont work, and that's when primitive shields will begin to be developed. Also rail guns, shooting solid rounds at mach 10 would also be a thing that lasers and missiles might not be able to deal with, but that's for another time.

I figure the best counter to a laser defense system would be a stealthy missile. The laser has to know the missile is coming in order to find it, lock on, and burn it. Stealth missile might make that a lot more difficult.

Alternatively maybe you could armor the missile in something akin to the ceramic tiles we used on space shuttles to dissipate heat. Just an idea; this is not really my field.

Any physics students want to chime in?

Theres an x-box controller in there somewhere.

I figure the best counter to a laser defense system would be a stealthy missile. The laser has to know the missile is coming in order to find it, lock on, and burn it. Stealth missile might make that a lot more difficult.

Alternatively maybe you could armor the missile in something akin to the ceramic tiles we used on space shuttles to dissipate heat. Just an idea; this is not really my field.

Any physics students want to chime in?

If you manage to mask the heat and exhaust from the rocket motor, you will be a rich man.

I think the counter to lasers is bigger, longer lasers or rail guns.

I figure the best counter to a laser defense system would be a stealthy missile. The laser has to know the missile is coming in order to find it, lock on, and burn it. Stealth missile might make that a lot more difficult.

Alternatively maybe you could armor the missile in something akin to the ceramic tiles we used on space shuttles to dissipate heat. Just an idea; this is not really my field.

Any physics students want to chime in?

Stealth device. Roll one extra agility dice.

If you manage to mask the heat and exhaust from the rocket motor, you will be a rich man.

I think the counter to lasers is bigger, longer lasers or rail guns.

And yet I still don't have my personal rocket pack.

So that's what the emperor looked like when he was younger...

So that's what the emperor looked like when he was younger...

Nonono didn't you see that bible mini series, clearly he's the devil.

At the very least he's a major disappointment.

Magnetic Accelerators/Railguns are the next big one. So long as no one goes for the "Rods from god" kinetic space weapon approach.

Plasma weaponry potentially has some applications too...

Likelihood is, though, that large states will not militarily meet each other....so tech is going to go in weird directions that are more to control without exposing personnel, and/or breaking the Geneva/Hague conventions....

navy has already done a ton of research on rail guns. one use is for catapult launch of aircraft.

Obviously the most important thing to gain from this report is that the army prefers an american made X-box over the imported PS4.

"The laser makes an incredibly powerful, highly focused beam of light and aims it at a moving target.

The lithium ion batteries that power the HEL MD’s laser are charged by a 60 kW diesel generator, so if the Army can keep the fuel tank full, they can shoot down incoming threats indefinitely.

The system uses a telescope and infrared-based, wide field of view camera to locate and designate targets.

Boeing has designed the system to be operated by a driver and an operator with a laptop and an Xbox controller. "

The demonstrations were with a 10kw laser, just a baby version. Boeing said that the next step is to install a 50-60kw laser to test the energy consumption and work on upgrading the chassis if needed. Then once they reach 100kw lasers they said, it would be ready for sale.

These arent the starwars lasers, its all thermal radiation. It stares at the target, and within a second, the target bursts into flames.

To add insult to injury NASA and I think one or more of the branches in the North American military is also using the Kinect for special purposes. NASA is using it as tool for docking ships or space stations. I think also the medical community is looking into using the Kinect as a interface while using robotic surgical arms.

Your right, the LASERs they use in SW are way more sophisticated. Its like comparing the first rifle weapon that fires lead used by the Colonial militia too a S&W 500 that fires silver Rhino Viper venom filled 700 grain Glaser shells. The craftsmen ship and manufacturing capabilities have changed radically between those two periods that the S&W will be superior in every way and be able to do things not possible, or at the least heck of a lot harder to do.

LASERs in SW have been modified ether by bottling them in a synthetic magnetic field that is used to help protect them beam from ecm, and at the same time guide the beam.

OR

They are firing "Hard Light" LASERs, the process will keep most the photons together as they travel to the target, unless it misses. Synthetic magnetism may still be involved with guidance as well as ecm and eccm.

Both cases you can create a "LASER BOLT" the process that makes the LASER may slow the bolt, as would all those systems being used to guide the beam. OR its all about perception. Funny thing is if you ever look at official art for starwars, the LASERs are beams not bolts. Because a machine like R2 would perceive things differently because its not human, and we are seeing these movies through the recordings of R2 and other droids, that also may be why they appear slower or not look like you would expect a laser.

I would like it changed to the above, officially they are LASERs but fired in wavelengths we cant see, the pulse you see and is normally attributed as the "LASER" is really a artifact. In the orignal trilogy there are times were craft explode before the colored part hits the craft or in the case of ROTJ Green Leader does a barrel roll through a Heavy Turbo Laser beam while the X-Wing by him is hit by it and vaps out.

Since Composite Super LASERs haven't had uber amounts of lore written for them concerning the lasing process the stuff I wrote above will work.

Wasn't there a Free Electron Laser anti-missile system developed at some point?

It could technically be a anti-anything weapon since it could have burned through 20 feet of mild steel per sec. A non-military group built a "XFEL", its pretty cool as is the "Photonic crystal LASER," and Lockheeds LASER that uses a 2nd stage "spectral beam combing" process to make a more powerful beam. You can think of it as the precursor to the process used for Composite Super LASERs, if this process was used in SW.

Just for the hell of it also go check out the new LASER driven particle accelerator that has been turning heads in that specific community.

I figure the best counter to a laser defense system would be a stealthy missile. The laser has to know the missile is coming in order to find it, lock on, and burn it. Stealth missile might make that a lot more difficult.

Alternatively maybe you could armor the missile in something akin to the ceramic tiles we used on space shuttles to dissipate heat. Just an idea; this is not really my field.

Any physics students want to chime in?

Some of these LASERs the military is designing are being built to use Lidar. Things that would screw with Radar detection systems, which isn't perfect, would not work on Lidar.

As far as the missile goes involving armor, or just a new outer-body, you would have to take in consideration the fuel amount and type, weight, thrust, and power of the explosive in the payload. Would this new body interfere with the package? Also if it does become effect, what happens if the enemy starts using more powerful LASER beams too counter the protective material on the missile? It will ether come down too who has the most money, or who adapted enough that they could kill off there enemy before they could build a better counter, if they could come up with a better counter.

Him again...? When they remake Real Genius I know who they should spoof in their movie... And I hope they get hit by whatever special weapon the make in it. It may or may not be the person in the above picture, its left to the viewers interpretation.

Laser weapons in star wars are more plasma weapons really, lore wise.

The name is just a holdover

Laser weapons in star wars are more plasma weapons really, lore wise.

The name is just a holdover

Its not, the cross section books make it clear as do other tech books. Those cross section books where written by Kerrie Dougherty, she works at the space museum in Australia. Then you got Curtis Saxton who has a doctorate in astrophysics which he got from the University of Sydney.

Now excluding all of that if they were "PLASMA" then what are PLASMA weapons in SWs and why are they considered more destructive than your run of the mil blaster weapons or infantry LASER weapons? It would be pretty strange if every weapon is a plasma weapon yet they don't call them all PLASMA weapons. They have Plasma BEAM weapons as well so its not like if they have a Plasma beam weapon they name it a LASER or BLASTER to tell them apart. I actually think the Plasma Beam weapons are more common than Plasma thrower weapons like what Purge Troopers use or Plasma Battle droids use.

I love living in the future.

Theres an x-box controller in there somewhere.

Indeed, i cringed, much easier to aim with a mouse and a keyboard. US navy peasants.

Apparently one of the issues with making these lasers any bigger is that a missed shot could shoot down a satalight in orbit. We have so much stuff in orbit now, its crazy. I also find it amusing that a laser fired from a ship or a plane could knock out your sat alight streaming Netflix to your phone, by accident.