Skyguard defense laser protects humans, kills missiles

[Man|-|unter]

Always one to ensure that our soldiers are equipped with the latest and greatest killing tools battlefield technology, military contractor Northrop Grumman has just unveiled a mobile defense system that creates a virtual bubble of protection against flying artillery over anything located within a five kilometer radius. Based on the Tactical High Energy Laser testbed that's been in development since 1996, the so-called Skyguard system employs target-acquisition radar and a deuterium fluoride laser to detect and shoot down a variety of airborne projectiles, including rockets, mortars, and short-range munitions. Northrop is promoting the weapon as a way for countries to defend deployed troops or critical infrastructure such as airports, and not surprisingly, Israel was one of the first foreign nations given a product pitch. Initially the system is said to cost between $150 and $200 million per installation, though mass adoption could see prices plummet to less than $30 million- and someday it may even be affordable enough to install at your very own house, providing the neighborhood kids with some not-so-subtle encouragement to keep their baseballs and frisbees out of your damn yard.

 

[Darkside55]

I'm glad to see something like this in the works, especially in today's world where the threat of missile attack is one of those "It may come soon!" situations.

 

[Danimal]

God help the people in commercial planes.

 

[bliink]

Build a smarter mousetrap and you get a smarter mouse.

 

[destrukt]

Has anyone read E. E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series [novels] ?

 

[Man|-|unter]

it's remind me of Skynet in Terminator.

 

[Remus]

The stuff in C&C Generals is coming to life! Eventually they'll have particle beam satellites and point defense lasers mounted on tanks and fighter aircraft. YEY!:smoking:

 

[15357]

We need that immediately.

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Build a smarter mousetrap and you get a smarter mouse.

Nice.

And I agree. But no doubt it will help for a while. Which is good.

 

[Remus]

Well I don't think it's too difficult to make this defense system useless. All they have to do is make missiles and other projectiles with heat resistant materials and then the laser won't be able to burn through them.

 

[Man|-|unter]

Relating to Skyguard I have some more to show, The Army's Tactical High Energy Laser goes mobile...

We were mighty impressed to hear that the Army is working on a mobile version of their Tactical High Energy Laser, which they're using to shoot down incoming rockets, mortar rounds, and artillery shells, but we were a little disappointed to learn that the THEL, along with the new mobile version (known as the MTHEL) constitute our nation's only laser weapons.

 

[Que-Ever]

Hell yeah, laser that shit DOWN.

 

[Ren.182]

Pretty awesome stuff.

 

[Remus]

We were mighty impressed to hear that the Army is working on a mobile version of their Tactical High Energy Laser, which they're using to shoot down incoming rockets, mortar rounds, and artillery shells, but we were a little disappointed to learn that the THEL, along with the new mobile version (known as the MTHEL) constitute our nation's only known laser weapons.

FIXED:E

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Build a smarter mousetrap and you get a smarter mouse.

Heh thats good, applies to so many things in life.

 

[clarky003]

Everyone mustof heard of the star wars program, they have had these things in the works and functioning for quite a while now.

Why governments still make such an ooplah about WMD launch threats across whole continents when this tech exists is beyond me, propaganda most likely.

 

[<RJMC>]

if those things shoots lasers like the red dot laser that comes in pen sizes
then a missile covered in some chormed like reflective material will be inmune to the laser?

 

[Tr0n]

if those things shoots lasers like the red dot laser that comes in pen sizes
then a missile covered in some chormed like reflective material will be inmune to the laser?

No.

 

[Remus]

if those things shoots lasers like the red dot laser that comes in pen sizes
then a missile covered in some chormed like reflective material will be inmune to the laser?

No, but something like the space shuttle that is covered in heat resistant ceramic plates would be immune.

 

[<RJMC>]

btw that thing can shoot more that 1 misile at the time?

is awsome how things that where considered science fiction are becoming real

 

[theotherguy]

lasers have proved unfeasable for most of the time we have been researching them. The reason is that the most powerful lasers require barrels and barrels of toxic chemicals to even fire once, racking up the cost and logistics to nightmarish standards.

Solid state lasers and Electron loop lasers are becoming more common and feasible, in which you would only have to replace the solid crystal every now and then, not feed it with toxic liquid constantly, but these are still in very early test phases, and barely have enough power to stop a mortar. Notice how both of those illustrations are simply artists' interpretations, we are nowhere near having anything that could shoot down a missile in the near future.

 

[kirovman]

point defense lasers mounted on tanks and fighter aircraft. YEY!:smoking:

That's actually in development for civil airliners.

 

[tehsolace]

pen lasers are not the same kind of lasers as missle defense lasers lol

 

[lePobz]

Nobody's thought what this system will do to the native wildlife. There'll be thousands of fried bird carcusses around these things.

 

[15357]

Lasers are really ineffective against everything. We won't be seeing those 50mm laser cannons for a long time.

There'll be thousands of fried bird carcusses around these things.

That post made me think of Fried Chicken.

 

[Remus]

Notice how both of those illustrations are simply artists' interpretations, we are nowhere near having anything that could shoot down a missile in the near future.

You are horribly wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THEL

 

[Tr0n]

Lasers are really ineffective against everything. We won't be seeing those 50mm laser cannons for a long time.



That post made me think of Fried Chicken.

KFC is gonna save some cash now.

 

[clarky003]

hehe, seriously though, lasers are the womans choice of the future when compared to what particle weapons can do.

example. rip pretty much anything to shreads without leaving any trace of detection.

 

[Remus]

hehe, seriously though, lasers are the womans choice of the future when compared to what particle weapons can do.

example. rip pretty much anything to shreads without leaving any trace of detection.

Lasers are particle weapons too. So it's like saying: machine guns are the women's choice of the future when compared to what projectile weapons can do.

But yes, I understand what you're trying to say. You mean weapons that use other particles, not just photons like regular lasers.

 

[clarky003]

I did misphrase that a bit lol, when I refer to particles I mean particles with enough mass to create instant puncturing/explosive physical damage.