US Army eyes truck-mounted laser (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

The US Army is developing a truck-mounted laser weapon to destroy rockets, artillery shells and mortars.

Aerospace giant Boeing has been awarded a contract to start on the first phase of the project - designing a control system for the laser beam.

The solid state laser weapon would eventually be mounted on a 10-tonne, eight-wheel-drive tactical truck.

The American military has several programmes underway to develop battlefield lasers.

Under the Phase I contract, worth $7m (£3m), Boeing will develop a preliminary design for a "rugged beam control system" to be used on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT).
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6917041.stm

In related news, two guys in a bombed-out garage in Iraq have developed an IED which is effective against HEMTT's.

[thoughtanarchist]

1. Waiting for a rig for sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads...

Is it too much to ask?

[eppur_se_muova]

2. OK ... what's that line from? Not up on current movies. nt

[thoughtanarchist]

3. Not really a current movie...

It was from Austin Powers:

The quote was Dr Evil.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Considering how often I watch movies, it will do for "recent". :D thanks! nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. How about some mutant sea bass?

[Canuckistanian]

5. That's pronounced "la-ser"

http://imgred.com/

[BrotherBuzz]

6. So, they finally got it working right

Back in the cold war years, we had one mounted on a tracked vehicle (a tank, I guess :shrug:) that was great at blowing up trees around Hunter Liggett Army Reserve. I suspect we would have deployed it by now if we could just trick the enemy into climbing up into the tree long enough to spool-up all the electronics to zap said tree. Heck, it might even have been effective against rockets, artillery shells and mortars if the enemy gave us ten to twenty minutes notice so the boys could warm up the electronics and point it in the general direction.