Army Uses Laser to Shoot Down Artillery Shell

[Richard Cranium]

(Reuters) - November 4, 2002 for the first time ever in a test over New Mexico, using a high-energy laser weapon developed by TRW Inc., the U.S. Army said it shot down an artillery shell in mid -flight.

The Army and TRW said in a joint announcement that the laser tracked, locked onto and fired a burst of concentrated light energy photons at the artillery projectile in flight at the service's White Sands, New Mexico, test range.
The beam director element of the Tactical High Energy Laser(THEL) is seen at the White Sands test site in this undated file photo. (TRW/Reuters)

The Army and TRW Inc, which developed the weapon, said in a joint statement that the laser tracked, locked onto and fired a burst of concentrated light energy photons at the speeding shell over the White Sands test range in New Mexico.
The Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) is being developed by TRW for the Army

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...usa_laser_dc_6

photo:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...161/2m3hv.html

* I saw lasers shooting ICMB's in the 70's
[in 18 wheeler trailers, Jet Engines for electric power]
We've had mobile units for years and the news is acting like this is the first, go figure. Well, it is smaller

We also have a jumbo jet with one engine dedicated to running a multi-megawatt laser.
The accuracy of this is within 1' at 180 miles.
Inside sources claim the ability to identify a single individual at this range.

Comparison:
A 30 watt UV CO2 laser will easily cut 1/4" Stainless Steel plate.
So imagine what a Million watt PLUS laser would do.
Of course water vapor and dust weaken these, more wattage is needed to "burn through" the haze but,, jeezz this is ,, overkill ?

Or Disinformation ?

[Redwolf]

Wow. Hopefully we'll have a laser-based army sometime in the near future.

We have had laser tech for quite a while now, but I don't think It's been this accurate.

Does anyone know the status of the ABL project (the converted laser-firing 747)? It's supposed to be completed soon.

[caddmannq]

Geeze Doc...


Beam me up before they get a lock!

[Richard Cranium]

Nov 1996

The Air Force awarded a $1.1 billion, 74-month contract to Boeing in November. The program is event driven and structured to progressively address major program risks before major funding commitments.
The integrated program schedule illustrates the 11-year research and development effort followed by a short production run. The research and development costs total $2.5 billion, and production costs are estimated to be $3.7 billion in then-year dollars.

The ABL is a revolutionary weapon system that can dramatically alter future battles. Its unique counter air capabilities to destroy TBMs during the boost phase will ensure our nation's military forces, and those of our allies, will operate independent of theater ballistic missile attack. Complementing Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 efforts to destroy theater ballistic missiles and their support equipment on the ground before launch, the ABL will engage missiles that are not destroyed during attack operations.

Air Combat Command will operate ABL from a continental U.S. base and will rapidly deploy it around the globe to arrive in theater, combat ready. Seven aircraft are currently planned; five aircraft are required to support two high-altitude Combat Air Patrol (CAP) orbits. At any given time, two aircraft will be on CAP, two aircraft will be preparing to arrive on CAP, and one aircraft will be on ground alert. The remaining aircraft will be allocated for training and/or depot maintenance. The joint forces air component commander (JFACC) will locate ABL orbits based on the threat, rules of engagement, weather conditions, and intelligence information. Inflight refueling and rotation of aircraft will provide continuous 24-hour coverage of potential TBM launch sites. Normal station time is 12 hours, but ABL can maintain station for up to 22 hours.

* Is it finished, who knows ..

[Richard Cranium]

Here one source claims deployment in 2007.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=15139


This story reminds me of old US AF Civil air patrol days when in the late 60's, we were picking up debris from a plane that did NOT start development until about "72-74

The V-22 Osprey, the Tilt-Rotor deathtrap, for 34 years, still in "development" prolly a cover project for another black project underway.

[OuTpaTienT]

See? I wasn't crazy when I said we have a better chance of coming up with a way to protect ourselves from projectiles then we do of outlawing guns in this country. Imagine years from now when this stuff gets miniturized we'll be able to wear a pin or a piece of jewerly that will double as a high-speed-projectile-nullifier.

[Redwolf]

That would be cool.

But then we get laser rifles, then what? Mirror vests?

The methods of killing will, by nature and necessity, always outpace the ways of counteraction.

[Knothead]

Originally posted by prexaspes
The methods of killing will, by nature and necessity, always outpace the ways of counteraction.

Quite so, Prex.

Just as, as soon as something becomes foolproof, somebody comes up with a better fool. okay, okay, cliche ...

Example: This laser weapon neutralizer is a reaction and deterrent to conventional "rocket" type bombs.

In case nobody has noticed, this new era has given humanity a whole NEW kind of warfare: Terrorist attacks. The bomb you're trying to track now is strapped to a human, and this nut is roaming around as we are giving bazillions of dollars to...TRW???

Anybody here have any ideas for a low-cost personal explosives detection unit? That, and a .45 ACP should handle the situation.

I'll bet you could get a defense contract in the millions, since the Guv-ment seems to be handing out money like napkins at a rib-roast. Pleh.

[Epidemic]

Low cost bomb detection???

We already have that and it comes in an all terrain vehicle. It costs less than 5000$ and can travel under it's own power virtually anywhere it's operator can travel and then some. It has it's own logic circuits and with some direction of a trained technician work autonamously.

I have seen these thing in action and they can detect a gram explosive materials at a great distance. Furthermore it can seek out targets at great distance through the use of a complex processor and evaluate threat.

It can sample the air hundreds of times per minute and sense to the best of my knowledge virtually all known explosive materials in the parts per million range. It can also detect with some degree of accuracy fear and anger in targets.