US Navy Laser Shoots Down UAV
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Discussion

ErnestM

Original Poster:

11,621 posts

297 months

Friday 25th June 2010
quotequote all

"LASERS"
Just thought I'd pre-empt the obligatory image

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=53...

OnTheOverrun

3,965 posts

207 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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Tut, more blue on blue friendly fire kills from Uncle Sam! hehe

Eric Mc

125,726 posts

295 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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I like this quote -

"This marks the first detect-thru-engage laser shoot-down of a threat representative target in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario".

Has David Brent been taken on as a Pentagon Spokesman?



ErnestM

Original Poster:

11,621 posts

297 months

Friday 25th June 2010
quotequote all
Old US Military Axiom...

If you cannot dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bs...

Jasandjules

72,618 posts

259 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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Looks like they are saying (as if people didn't already know) - Don't f**k with the US Navy.

grumbledoak

32,571 posts

263 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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This sort of thing has been done by plane-mounted lasers too, so it's a bit of a minor milestone. Nonetheless, it is a much better approach than the missile defense rubbish. Anyone remember the Patriot missile vs Scud fiasco? A $500,000 missile that couldn't stop a £20 Scud from blowing up a £40 dwelling.

69 coupe

2,459 posts

241 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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scratchchin Mirror finish aircraft, create own goal..

Wasn't Reagan doing this years ago, Son of Starwars?

Marf

22,907 posts

271 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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pew pew pew!

hornet

6,333 posts

280 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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Eric Mc said:
I like this quote -

"This marks the first detect-thru-engage laser shoot-down of a threat representative target in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario".

Has David Brent been taken on as a Pentagon Spokesman?
They've evidently blue-skied the idea in a holistic manner, then touched base to see if they can explot any synergies.

How long before someone moans about the carbon footprint of the energy source? Green green lasers?

ErnestM

Original Poster:

11,621 posts

297 months

Friday 25th June 2010
quotequote all
grumbledoak said:
This sort of thing has been done by plane-mounted lasers too, so it's a bit of a minor milestone. Nonetheless, it is a much better approach than the missile defense rubbish. Anyone remember the Patriot missile vs Scud fiasco? A $500,000 missile that couldn't stop a £20 Scud from blowing up a £40 dwelling.
That was true about the PAC-1s and PAC-2s. The PAC-3 system, however, is a whole different animal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIM-104_Patriot#MIM-1...

US Navy also use SM-3 missile...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIM-161_Standard_miss...

grumbledoak

32,571 posts

263 months

Friday 25th June 2010
quotequote all
Cool toys, but the laser will win. By comparison they are shooting a bullet out of the air with a bullet, which is never going to be easy. Compared to the laser beam the target is stationary. Lots and lots of power, though, to get range.

anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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Directed Energy Weapons (non/lethal) are making good ground at the moment.

The USAF/SOCOM are working on a laser turret for their next generation gunship. This could be Osprey, Hercules or Spartan depending on the role. I reckon that the USMC are going to get in on the act as well considering their current work on arming their C-130J tankers and their preference for developing organic assets.

Non-lethal laser-like crowd deterrent systems are getting operational testing in Afghanistan.




eharding

14,648 posts

314 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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Jasandjules said:
Looks like they are saying (as if people didn't already know) - Don't f**k with the US Navy.
At the back of my mind, there is a MacLads lyric along the same lines, only reflecting upon the British Navy, Beer, Sex, Chips and Gravy. Damned if I can remember it though.

dilbert

7,741 posts

261 months

Friday 25th June 2010
quotequote all
hornet said:
Eric Mc said:
I like this quote -

"This marks the first detect-thru-engage laser shoot-down of a threat representative target in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario".

Has David Brent been taken on as a Pentagon Spokesman?
They've evidently blue-skied the idea in a holistic manner, then touched base to see if they can explot any synergies.

How long before someone moans about the carbon footprint of the energy source? Green green lasers?
I think it gets around the problem of someone saying;

"Yeh, but I'd bet it doesn't work if it's pissing down wi' rain!"


TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Friday 25th June 2010
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Chrome the missiles.

if there is anyone is the US department of defence currently hiring,

i'm free!!!!!

hidetheelephants

36,030 posts

223 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
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coanda said:
Directed Energy Weapons (non/lethal) are making good ground at the moment.

The USAF/SOCOM are working on a laser turret for their next generation gunship. This could be Osprey, Hercules or Spartan depending on the role. I reckon that the USMC are going to get in on the act as well considering their current work on arming their C-130J tankers and their preference for developing organic assets.

Non-lethal laser-like crowd deterrent systems are getting operational testing in Afghanistan.
Is the Osprey actually in useful service, or is it still randomly setting itself on fire and killing the occupants?

dilbert

7,741 posts

261 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
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I saw a vid recently where it attended a PR event, did a low pass over the crowd, and caused everyone watching to fall over.

Odie

4,187 posts

212 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
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Eric Mc said:
I like this quote -

"This marks the first detect-thru-engage laser shoot-down of a threat representative target in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario".

Has David Brent been taken on as a Pentagon Spokesman?
I like that quote too because its wrong....

Unfortunately i don't think i can say anymore. Perhaps just this, I got screamed at for leaning on something I shouldnt have in the early 90's

TheEnd

15,370 posts

218 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
Was it the bar at the Dog and Duck?

hidetheelephants

36,030 posts

223 months

Saturday 26th June 2010
quotequote all
Odie said:
Eric Mc said:
I like this quote -

"This marks the first detect-thru-engage laser shoot-down of a threat representative target in an over-the-water, combat representative scenario".

Has David Brent been taken on as a Pentagon Spokesman?
I like that quote too because its wrong....

Unfortunately i don't think i can say anymore. Perhaps just this, I got screamed at for leaning on something I shouldnt have in the early 90's
Did something-else expensive go bang at an inopportune moment when you did the leaning on the something? Or did it simply stop working in that quiet but indefinably depressing way that you instinctively know will be expensive both monetarily and in terms of your career? Trials are aptly named in my admittedly limited experience, and I managed to avoid destroying anything(or at least only destroying stuff intentionally).