What is Digg?77 Comments
- foopirata, on 10/06/2008, -0/+37I'll bring the sharks. Boeing can bring the friggin' lasers.
- ohnoerino, on 10/06/2008, -0/+29Sounds like a party to me!
- Nboy514, on 10/07/2008, -0/+14No Sharks?
- beermaker, on 10/06/2008, -2/+13i bet 5 bucks to fail
- Mockylock, on 10/06/2008, -0/+11This has already been created and is being used in C-130's. The beam itself is only 13" around, but is able to reach anywhere in sight and melt through the likes of tanks. I know this due to friends who work on cooling systems that are used with them. Right now, they're being tested in Fallon and San Diego.
- Seaton, on 10/07/2008, -0/+9PEW PEW!!!
- inactive, on 10/06/2008, -1/+8This was around when I was in the AF (three years ago) I'm sure they've made them smaller and better by now. They were talking about having a global system in place to combat ICBMs - I heard by 2010.
Dugg for lasers. - SexyFarts, on 10/07/2008, -0/+6America! ***** Yea!
- ThreeDee912, on 10/07/2008, -1/+7There are already real UAV's in service. UAV=Unmanned aerial vehicle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehic ... - JakeKreber, on 10/07/2008, -0/+6Be careful, you might poke someone's eye out!
- scyon, on 10/07/2008, -0/+5Precision guided bombs are cheaper and more effective against slow moving targets.
- inactive, on 10/06/2008, -5/+10IMA FIRIN MY LAZER!!!!111!!!1!!
- aznpwnzor, on 10/07/2008, -0/+5blow this up, put it on a satellite, meteor/asteroid(forgot the difference) problem solved
- trafficlight, on 10/07/2008, -0/+5What could possibly go wrong?
- inactive, on 10/07/2008, -0/+5thats cool..
here's mine 343-26-7559 - jah37066, on 10/07/2008, -0/+4http://transformersrave.ytmnd.com/
'Nuff said. - inactive, on 10/07/2008, -0/+4Here is the key paragraph:
"According to Mike Rinn, Boeing's Program Director for ABL, the search for additional missions is underway. "We're looking at what kind of modifications you would do with the system, to give it capability for other targets," says Rinn. "Air-to-air missiles, even other tough missions, like cruise missiles, surface-to-air. Or maybe even air-to-ground missiles, the kinds of weapons used to attack a fleet."
Why not just use it fry troops on the ground? - BrainRecall, on 10/07/2008, -0/+4Correct, mostly (no way these can melt through tanks. This one seen here is only intended to weaken the outer skin of an ICBM.) Boeing did this with the Advanced Tactical Laser by throwing a 3 ton laser into a Lockheed Martin C-130H. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_tactical_las ...
This gizmo seen here is the Boeing YAL-1, where Boeing took a modified Boeing 747-400F and stuck an 18 ton laser into it. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YAL-1
Pretty pictures of the turret:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/4486.jpg
http://www.space.com/images/h_turretball_window_02 ...
This thing is a bit packed: http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/p ... - inactive, on 10/06/2008, -0/+3...oh my!
- DubBucket, on 10/07/2008, -0/+3Almost as cool as the truck mounted HEL TD.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Boeing_Awarded_C ...
Lasers are the ultimate offense and defense. With sophisticated enough tracking, they can destroy any incoming projectile, and vaporize any target within LOS. - disrupter, on 10/07/2008, -1/+4Why can't I digg you twice
- inactive, on 10/07/2008, -0/+3Chargin*
- Stemnin, on 10/07/2008, -0/+3Walk outside now. And don't do it crouched or prone.
- magnumpc, on 10/07/2008, -0/+3In the article, the full system would involve UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) with mirrors that could redirect the laser beam towards targets which are not in line-of-sight with the gun platform. If this is the case and the beam's energy can be efficiently redirected (with a mirror!), then why wouldn't putting mirrors on the missile casings be an effective countermeasure to laser weapons?
I think they need to rethink this system. - sputza, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2Fire the laser!
- MadEnvoy, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2Oh my!
- inactive, on 10/07/2008, -2/+4Boeing's billing plan:
Smoke and Mirrors - threemagic, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2I'll bring the music...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDVkpqWGMQQ&feature ... - inactive, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2"That's thing's operational!"
- nathron, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2FTA they said that they even did tests by painting the missles white, and it still worked. if they made the missles shiny though, wouldn't lasers be completely ineffective?
- handheldchimp, on 10/07/2008, -2/+4Over 9000.
- VashTSPD, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2mirror-plated missiles.
- Splicernyc, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2Dear Popular Mechanics: Still waiting for my flying car and food pills.
- praecipula, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2I used to work for Lockheed, which is the subcontractor for the main mirror (what you see in the picture, ironic, because it's at Lockheed not Boeing...). Anyway, they do some crazy stuff to account for those effects - they fire a "pre-laser" which they use to measure the atmospheric effects, then fire the real laser, distorting the mirror so the atmosphere will actually act to finish focusing the beam. Bad-ass. Oh, and lasers are unaffected by range, only interference (that is, the molecules of air getting in the way). So a more powerful laser will have longer range and vice versa. This laser can actually knock the missile off course with the sheer pressure of the photons.
- Braxo, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2Just put a mirror finish on missiles then...
- gettempapa, on 10/07/2008, -0/+2They have to get 3 kills without dying before they can use it though.
- doom777, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1i was able to see yours for some reason.
- alappat1, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1why does this remind me of the beam weapon from the red alert universe?
- ThreeDee912, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1Reminds me of the Arkbird back in AC5.
http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/Arkbird
(Are there even any AC players on Digg...?) - craighoxton, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1See also Wall Street
- murphy11211, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1I freaking love Lasers
- nydwarf, on 10/08/2008, -0/+1Robots? Mirrors? Lasers? Oh my!!
- chuck667, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1no.
- m0llusk, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1Nine thousand?!
- jah37066, on 10/07/2008, -1/+2Don't worry, I'll digg for you.
- MadEnvoy, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1How many threads are you going to post this in?
- bobtheunholy, on 10/07/2008, -2/+3Mitch: You know, um, something strange happened to me this morning...
Chris: Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?
Mitch: No...
Chris: Why am I the only one who has that dream? - Zaneris, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1Just cover the missile in tinfoil.
- Naieve, on 10/07/2008, -0/+1it will take a bit more then making them shiny, but decent mirrors on their skin...
this will work well for the battlefield to protect against mortars, artillery, and smaller missiles.
russia though is already working on counters to this and can easily make their next generation of missiles and warheads laser proof. - Shaman760, on 10/07/2008, -1/+2And the US government pays for this how? Coming soon; Car washes and bake sales by the Armed forces.
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