Northrop Grumman: Laser guns.

Pyro Pilots Lounge. For all topics *not* covered in other DBB forums.

Moderators: fliptw, roid

Post Reply
User avatar
Octopus
DBB Captain
DBB Captain
Posts: 600
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:49 am

Northrop Grumman: Laser guns.

Post by Octopus »

I bet this becomes standard for regular commercial airliners some day. Lasers are cool.
bizjournals.com wrote:...now installed or scheduled for installation on several hundred military aircraft to protect about 48 different types of large fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms from infrared missile attacks.
http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/s ... ily11.html
Dedman
DBB Material Defender
DBB Material Defender
Posts: 4513
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 2:01 am
Location: Atlanta

Post by Dedman »

That has been in the works for commercial aviation for years.
User avatar
Krom
DBB Database Master
DBB Database Master
Posts: 16125
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 1998 3:01 am
Location: Camping the energy center. BTW, did you know you can have up to 100 characters in this location box?
Contact:

Post by Krom »

I read an article just last week about the how the Navy is going to test out a solid state laser system in the next 12-18 months. The article said the output would be up to 105 kilowatts. They would shine the laser at low power on to a boat that is getting too close as a warning, and if they don't back off then they turn up the power and start roasting them... :P

Although the main thing they wanted to test was how well such a system would work in typical conditions on the oceans, including through mist and fog. It could have other potential uses as well, such as shooting down incoming missiles, or sending a light signal... to the moon :P
User avatar
snoopy
DBB Benefactor
DBB Benefactor
Posts: 4435
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 1999 2:01 am

Re:

Post by snoopy »

Krom wrote:...or sending a light signal... to the moon :P
You know you can already do that, right? One of the things that the astronauts left was a reflector that would bounce a laser back at the source. If you have powerful enough of a laser, proper interferometry equipment, and know where to point it, (There are web sites out there that will tell you) you can measure the distance to the moon, and in the process prove that people really did make it there.

I'm not convinced about the commercial airline application. from what I read it's pretty much an anti-missile weapon- what would commercial airliners need that for? I think it'd be a waste of money to put them on commercial planes.

[edit] and by "strong enough of a laser" I mean something in the normal "high power" range that isn't close to being weapons-grade.
User avatar
dissent
DBB Fleet Admiral
DBB Fleet Admiral
Posts: 2162
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Illinois

Post by dissent »

way to go Scotty! Now would you get the warp drive back on line, please????

snoopy wrote:
Krom wrote:...or sending a light signal... to the moon :P
You know you can already do that, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Lase ... Experiment

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/ ... ments/lrr/
User avatar
Lothar
DBB Ghost Admin
DBB Ghost Admin
Posts: 12133
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 1998 12:01 pm
Location: I'm so glad to be home
Contact:

Post by Lothar »

This is JV compared to ABL. Shooting down tactical missiles FTW!
User avatar
Octopus
DBB Captain
DBB Captain
Posts: 600
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:49 am

Post by Octopus »

snoopy... In the future everything will have lasers.
User avatar
Nightshade
DBB Master
DBB Master
Posts: 5138
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2001 2:01 am
Location: Planet Earth, USA
Contact:

Post by Nightshade »

Even sharks with lasers attached to their heads.
.
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" - Mao Zedong
Post Reply