US & Israel develop new laser..

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US & Israel develop new laser..

Posted: 5/7/2004 8:39:18 AM EDT

It aint just a dream any more.

Here's the link.

Israeli-U.S. Laser Downs Long-Range Missile in Test

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May 7, 7:54 AM (ET)

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A laser beam under joint Israeli-U.S. development destroyed a long-range rocket for the first time in a test in the skies over the American Southwest, Israel's Defense Ministry said on Friday.
Israel has sought an effective defense against ballistic missiles since 1991 when Iraq launched Scuds into the Jewish state during the first Gulf War. It has since developed the Arrow anti-ballistic missile with U.S. funding.

"This is a significant step forward," a ministry spokesman said of the test on May 4 of the "Nautilus" Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) held at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Israel sees the Nautilus as another potential countermeasure to possible ballistic attack by enemies, which would include most Arab states and Iran. In turn, they see Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal as the biggest strategic threat to the region.

The Nautilus laser is being developed mainly by U.S. aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp with the help of several Israeli high-tech firms specializing in optics and military hardware.

"The (Nautilus) project has the potential to fill an important operational need for Israel," said Shmuel Keren, the Israeli military's director of weapons systems and infrastructure development.

"The (Nautilus) system can answer our need for a system which can intercept missiles and cruise missiles for which currently there is no effective solution."

The Defense Ministry declined to elaborate on the test or the exact range of the intercepted missile.

In earlier tests the MTHEL laser had successfully eliminated 28 short-range Katyusha rockets and five artillery shells in flight as well as several "hostile objects" on the ground.

Posted: 5/7/2004 8:51:21 AM EDT

[#1]

Neato.

This will make the bad guys think twice before they consider "pushing the button."

Posted: 5/7/2004 9:16:21 AM EDT

[#2]

bbbuuuttt missile defense is expensive & doesn't work, right?

Stupid liberals...

THIS is where the ABM money is going, not just to rockets in Alaska...

This thing can shoot down arty rounds & calliope rockets...

Now if only they could make a 'little' one that could be mounted on a M1A2 to 'handle' ATGMs and RPGs...

Posted: 5/7/2004 9:17:13 AM EDT

[#3]

Group buy?

Posted: 5/7/2004 9:19:20 AM EDT

[#4]

Notice in the last line.....it can take out "hostile objects" on the ground. Anti armor maybe?.........

Posted: 5/7/2004 9:19:44 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
bbbuuuttt missile defense is expensive & doesn't work, right?

Stupid liberals...

THIS is where the ABM money is going, not just to rockets in Alaska...

This thing can shoot down arty rounds & calliope rockets...

Now if only they could make a 'little' one that could be mounted on a M1A2 to 'handle' ATGMs and RPGs...

Yes, a traditional MDS is difficult and yes, IT DOESNT WORK. I saw the tests, it worked 1 time out of 3. Tryin to shoot a bullet with a bullet.

However with the latest advancements in LASER technology, its a whole lot easier to blast something out of the sky, especially when your weapon travels at the speed of light

Posted: 5/7/2004 9:34:45 AM EDT

[#6]

[dr. evil] mini me, stop humping the laser [/dr. evil]

I had to say it

Posted: 5/7/2004 10:05:34 AM EDT

[#7]

we definately are the baddest boy on the block now

hey iran, yunno that missile you just launched, well, we cut it in half laser style, i mid flight

Posted: 5/7/2004 10:24:51 AM EDT

[#8]

Shooting down artillery rounds! And I thought duck hunting was a challenge.

Posted: 5/7/2004 12:05:00 PM EDT

[#9]

This could indeed end up being an impressive piece of equipment.

Posted: 5/7/2004 1:37:55 PM EDT

[#10]

It ain't new! System was developed in kiryat shmoneh, theory wise in the 90's.

Then it was tacked on to the arrow 2 program, then Raytheon (? i beleive) got interested and brought it to utah with gobs of american money, always a treat for the israel companies of rafael and elbit.

It started out as a means to heat up an incoming bogey so much that the arrow 2's seeker could not miss it. then they realized that the energy needed to heat an incoming icbm warhead could destroy smaller objects. the first katyusha tests proved this.

but this new test is a whole new ballgame. they destroyed a big boy.

shows what happens whan israel and america cooperate - this was a HUGE acheivement.

Posted: 5/7/2004 1:56:50 PM EDT

[#11]

Here's a pic. The big problem is energy consumption. The laser part is really not that big, it's the powersource that's the tough part to make small enough to be transportable.

Posted: 5/7/2004 2:01:52 PM EDT

[#12]

On a related note....

I've often thought a laser would be the perfect sniper weapon in good weather, no bullet drop or wind- but what would happen to someone hit by it?

My macarbe prediction is that the person would explode in a red steam cloud, as the water in their body would expand so fast from heating that they'd pop like an egg in a microwave speeded up by the far greater power. I don't think burning would be in the picture as the major damage. Anyone have any better, macarbe guesses?

Posted: 5/7/2004 2:14:52 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
On a related note....

I've often thought a laser would be the perfect sniper weapon in good weather, no bullet drop or wind- but what would happen to someone hit by it?

My macarbe prediction is that the person would explode in a red steam cloud, as the water in their body would expand so fast from heating that they'd pop like an egg in a microwave speeded up by the far greater power. I don't think burning would be in the picture as the major damage. Anyone have any better, macarbe guesses?

Depends a lot on what frequency you pick. If you were to use low band infrared, much lower than TV remote controls, it would simply punch a hot hole through. If you were to use microwaves it would boil the water in thier blood. The electromagnetic spectrum is pretty big. Visable light only makes up a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of it.

Posted: 5/7/2004 2:27:36 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Here's a pic. The big problem is energy consumption. The laser part is really not that big, it's the powersource that's the tough part to make small enough to be transportable.

www.defense-update.com/images/thel-beamer.jpg

Thats not MTHEL thats just THEL, the fixed version. MTHEL is on a very large truck.

Then there is Zeus but it is "only" 15Mw. But they expect to get a device of the same size up to 100Mw by the end of the decade.

Posted: 5/7/2004 2:30:50 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Quoted:
bbbuuuttt missile defense is expensive & doesn't work, right?

Stupid liberals...

THIS is where the ABM money is going, not just to rockets in Alaska...

This thing can shoot down arty rounds & calliope rockets...

Now if only they could make a 'little' one that could be mounted on a M1A2 to 'handle' ATGMs and RPGs...

Yes, a traditional MDS is difficult and yes, IT DOESNT WORK. I saw the tests, it worked 1 time out of 3. Tryin to shoot a bullet with a bullet.

However with the latest advancements in LASER technology, its a whole lot easier to blast something out of the sky, especially when your weapon travels at the speed of light

Actually, even GMD works. The integrated tests with mid-course were 5 for 8. Two of the failures were a failure of seperation because the boosters used were surplus minutemen that were not maintained particularly well. This has nothing to do with the viability of mid-course intercept. Discount the failed seperations, and the tests were 5 out of 6.
Also, the PAC III Patriots intercepted 9 of 9 scuds during Iraqi Freedom.
Hitting a bullet with a bullet is established technology now.

Posted: 5/7/2004 2:46:18 PM EDT

[#16]

I remember seeing video on the news of a laser shooting down a (small) missile back in '89 or '90. Seemed very cool at the time! I'm sure they've been plugging away at it since then. Isn't this what Reagan's SDI was going to be based on?

Posted: 5/7/2004 2:49:57 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
bbbuuuttt missile defense is expensive & doesn't work, right?

Stupid liberals...

THIS is where the ABM money is going, not just to rockets in Alaska...

This thing can shoot down arty rounds & calliope rockets...

Now if only they could make a 'little' one that could be mounted on a M1A2 to 'handle' ATGMs and RPGs...

Yes, a traditional MDS is difficult and yes, IT DOESNT WORK. I saw the tests, it worked 1 time out of 3. Tryin to shoot a bullet with a bullet.

However with the latest advancements in LASER technology, its a whole lot easier to blast something out of the sky, especially when your weapon travels at the speed of light

Actually, even GMD works. The integrated tests with mid-course were 5 for 8. Two of the failures were a failure of seperation because the boosters used were surplus minutemen that were not maintained particularly well. This has nothing to do with the viability of mid-course intercept. Discount the failed seperations, and the tests were 5 out of 6.
Also, the PAC III Patriots intercepted 9 of 9 scuds during Iraqi Freedom.
Hitting a bullet with a bullet is established technology now.

Hitting a bullet with a bullet has been established technology since Phoenix and Phalanx entered service with the Navy in the mid 1970's. Scaling up for more speed and range has been the bitch.

Posted: 5/7/2004 4:28:21 PM EDT

[#18]

HEY! Talk english in my thread dangit!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US & Israel develop new laser..

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