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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUS successfully tested a laser weapon that can destroy aircraft mid-flight
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/05/22/asia/us-navy-lwsd-laser-intl-hnk-scli/index.htmlThe US successfully tested a laser weapon that can destroy aircraft mid-flight
A US Navy warship has successfully tested a new high-energy laser weapon that can destroy aircraft mid-flight, the Navy's Pacific Fleet said in a statement Friday.
Images and videos provided by the Navy show the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland executing "the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser" to disable an aerial drone aircraft, the statement said.
The images show the laser emanating from the deck of the warship. Short video clips show what appears to be the drone burning.
The Navy did not give a specific location of the laser weapons system demonstrator (LWSD) test, saying only that it occurred in the Pacific on May 16.
The power of the weapon was not disclosed, but a 2018 report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said it was expected to be a 150-kilowatt laser.
"By conducting advanced at sea tests against UAVs and small crafts, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against potential threats," Capt. Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of Portland, said in the statement.
"With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy."
In 2017, CNN witnessed a live-fire exercise of a 30-kilowatt laser weapon aboard the amphibious transport ship USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf.
At the time, Lt. Cale Hughes, a laser weapons system officer, described how they work.
"It is throwing massive amounts of photons at an incoming object," Hughes said. "We don't worry about wind, we don't worry about range, we don't worry about anything else. We're able to engage the targets at the speed of light."
The Ponce was retired from service later that year.
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US successfully tested a laser weapon that can destroy aircraft mid-flight (Original Post)
Budi
May 2020
OP
Mass murder? This is for defense of our naval vessels, primarily against drone swarms.
Tercules
May 2020
#6
That is good, until someone gets it and shoots a jet or a satellite out of the sky.
Beakybird
May 2020
#7
Russian spies stole the A bomb from the Manhattan Project. They have it much easier these days.
Marcuse
May 2020
#8
House of Roberts
(5,168 posts)1. Photon + Laser Phaser
Well, we have the two way wrist Tvs from Dick Tracy years ago, so I guess Star Trek phasers are just as likely.
Budi
(15,325 posts)3. Yup. 1st thing I thought of was Star Trek. They too have been around awhile!
Star Trek in the case of laser weapons, & The Jetsons for everything else, were by far, way ahead of their time.
👍
Beakybird
(3,333 posts)2. The science of bringing speed and efficiency to mass murder.
Budi
(15,325 posts)4. It's frightening, considering that if we have the technology, so do others.
...and Trump is commandor in chief & that adds another of layer of threat to the human race.
Ugh.
Tercules
(32 posts)6. Mass murder? This is for defense of our naval vessels, primarily against drone swarms.
Beakybird
(3,333 posts)7. That is good, until someone gets it and shoots a jet or a satellite out of the sky.
Or destroy a skyscraper.
The problem is that we have advanced science in the hands of governments who are headed by sociopaths.
Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)5. Yikes! How long before Trumpie wants to play with his new toy?
Beware Canada!
Efilroft Sul
(3,579 posts)12. Remember Brad Parscale calling the Trump campaign the Death Star?
Alderaan was a peaceful planet, too.
Marcuse
(7,479 posts)8. Russian spies stole the A bomb from the Manhattan Project. They have it much easier these days.
DFW
(54,370 posts)9. Somali pirates might not be too happy about this development.
Hopefully, these things are too expensive, too complicated and too heavy to mount aboard their pirate skiffs.
jmg257
(11,996 posts)10. Cool- interesting technology. Nt
lame54
(35,287 posts)11. They couldn't wait till Trump was gone to reveal it?
Baclava
(12,047 posts)13. Now we need to install them on our Space Force battle drones, to zap asteroids and aliens!
Disaffected
(4,554 posts)14. USS Ponce??
No wonder they retired her (him?).