Breakthrough Combat lasers for F15 jets and antimissile drones

[GhostZ06]

For the last few years there have been heavy 10-30 kilowatt combat lasers tested on a Navy ship and an army truck about the size of an 18 wheeler. Those were vehicles chosen to carry the heavy weight of the lasers and their power systems. Now there is an $26 million air force project for a 50+ kilowatt combat laser on an F15 and another $18 million project for a high altitude anti-missile drone by 2021.

The flying combat lasers have to be far lighter. By 2021 the lasers should also have power increased to 150 kilowatts or more.
Over the last 25 years the US military has spent about $8 billion developing combat lasers but none have been put into production.

The military lasers are riding the widespread use of 10 kilowatt industrial cutting and welding lasers and the lasers for telecommunications.

Drones on Lasers can be the holy grail of missile defense

Boost phase missile defense is destroying an enemy missile during the earliest stages of its flight, while it remains within the Earth’s atmosphere. A viable boost phase defense has long been considered the “holy grail” of BMD (ballistic missile defense), as boosting missiles are much slower and easier to track than missiles during the midcourse or terminal stage, which makes them more vulnerable to interception. Boost phase defense also overcomes the challenges of discriminating between lethal warheads and debris, as the missile is largely intact at this stage and has not had the opportunity to deploy decoys. Early intercept during the boost phase also has the added benefit of causing the missile’s ordinance to fall back on the aggressor after the boosters have been disabled or destroyed.

Directed energy technology—or lasers—is the most sought-after future boost phase missile defense option.

In June 2017, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) released a solicitation demonstrating interest in the defense industry’s capability to produce a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft that can carry high energy laser system for boost phase intercept. MDA’s listing listed several requirements for this boost-phase capability including:
1. on-station altitude of greater than 63,000 ft,
2. flight endurance of greater than 36 hours,
3. flight cruise speed of less than Mach 0.45 at altitude, and
4. a payload capacity of at least 5,000 lbs and as much as 12,500 lbs.

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/...sers-for-f15-jets-and-antimissile-drones.html

 

[MadSquabbles500]

will the lasers on planes be used for dog fighting, and replace the autocannon?

 

[Chomsky Honk]

does isis even have an airplane?

 

[PrinceOfPain]

So, are weapons developers trying to build the most efficient, cost-effective systems, best suited to foreseeable conflicts, or are they just building cool, high-tech toys?

 

[Orgasmo]

So, are weapons developers trying to build the most efficient, cost-effective systems, best suited to foreseeable conflicts, or are they just building cool, high-tech toys?

Developing new weapons is a secondary concern. Their first priority is to pitch to congress about how their programs create jobs, and spread them as far as they can. That way Congress can't axe wasteful spending without worrying about potential impact to local employment.

 

[GSP_37]

does isis even have an airplane?

If they had missiles, you are going to wish these lasers are up and running.

 

[kahiljabroni]

Can't we just skip the charade and give these companies a few billion free and clear to not build them? Lot cheaper and easier than going through the whole R and D, production, testing, warehousing fiasco.

 

[Beechwood]

I remember reading lasers were being tested and early reports reported success. Hope the different systems works out. Sounds like N Korea wants to test us.

 

[HIMBOB]

How do lasers actually destroy things?

It just seems like a pipe dream.
Focusing a small beam on a hard object moving rapidly at great distance long enough to do fatal damage.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

How do lasers actually destroy things?

It just seems like a pipe dream.
Focusing a small beam on a hard object moving rapidly at great distance long enough to do fatal damage.

Ive seen footage on youtube about a decade ago of them destroying missiles mid-flight with lasers. The laser uses a computer program to track the flight pattern of the incoming projectile and it takes a few seconds but it definitely incinerates those things in mid air. Maybe TS knows where that vid is. These weapons have already existed for naval ships, the NEW part of the technology is that it is getting much lighter now so that planes can carry and utilize them.

 

[therealdope]

How do lasers actually destroy things?

It just seems like a pipe dream.
Focusing a small beam on a hard object moving rapidly at great distance long enough to do fatal damage.

Heat is how they work.

The advantage is that they can be precise, long range and move very fucking fast (I mean aim), and it's there instantly. If you can see it, you can target it.

The downside is to get sufficient energy to the target, the equipment is big and heavy. That's bad for things that fly. It's also hard to target small stuff far away.

 

[Cuauhtemoc]

Ive seen footage on youtube about a decade ago of them destroying missiles mid-flight with lasers. The laser uses a computer program to track the flight pattern of the incoming projectile and it takes a few seconds but it definitely incinerates those things in mid air. Maybe TS knows where that vid is. These weapons have already existed for naval ships, the NEW part of the technology is that it is getting much lighter now so that planes can carry and utilize them.

Yes, it's a great idea. Most current missile defense technology is based on hitting a missile with another missile. That's extremely hard, you only have one shot and it's also extremely expensive. It looks cool when the Israelis destroy a small homemade rocket with their iron dome system but it most likely wouldn't work against a real threat like Russia, China or even Iran. Because they would launch a lot of high speed missiles at the same time coupled with many decoys.
A laser on the other hand is much faster and you can have a continuous beam of destruction so you can aim until you hit it.

Here it is a ship mounted laser destroying a drone:


Would it work against a lot of much faster missiles? Probably not yet, but it's much better than other alternatives.

 

[milliniar]

When will they be able to be mounted on a shark?

 

[AznTrojan]

pew pew pew

 

[Rational Poster]

Can't we just skip the charade and give these companies a few billion free and clear to not build them? Lot cheaper and easier than going through the whole R and D, production, testing, warehousing fiasco.

Why do you hate America so much?

We need laser superiority.

 

[method115]

Yes, it's a great idea. Most current missile defense technology is based on hitting a missile with another missile. That's extremely hard, you only have one shot and it's also extremely expensive. It looks cool when the Israelis destroy a small homemade rocket with their iron dome system but it most likely wouldn't work against a real threat like Russia, China or even Iran. Because they would launch a lot of high speed missiles at the same time coupled with many decoys.
A laser on the other hand is much faster and you can have a continuous beam of destruction so you can aim until you hit it.

Here it is a ship mounted laser destroying a drone:


Would it work against a lot of much faster missiles? Probably not yet, but it's much better than other alternatives.

Man that's crazy you don't even really see anything.

 

[Billy no mates]

Could you fit these lasers to a frickin shark? .

 

[HIMBOB]

Can't we just skip the charade and give these companies a few billion free and clear to not build them? Lot cheaper and easier than going through the whole R and D, production, testing, warehousing fiasco.

You do have to wonder what we would have if so many good minds were working on something productive instead of spending trillions on trying to kill each other.

 

[GhostZ06]

will the lasers on planes be used for dog fighting, and replace the autocannon?

For now just Defensive counter measures to missiles and maybe limited A2A but they need to get bigger kilowatt lasers fitted on planes

 

[Rholk]

For now just Defensive counter measures to missiles and maybe limited A2A but they need to get bigger kilowatt lasers fitted on planes

Didn't they test one for offensive purpose on the AC130?