Laser Cannon on the Way: It's like science fiction becoming reality. The navy is testing a gun that can shoot a laser beam ten miles. Cost per shot: $1.00. Cost to develop: $40...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's like science fiction becoming reality. The navy is testing a gun that can shoot a laser beam ten miles. Cost per shot: $1.00. Cost to develop: $40 million. It must be one of the cheapest weapons systems ever.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-14/u-s-navy-deploys-its-first-laser-weapon-in-the-persian-gulf.html

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Read this post in this Forum: Russian plane totally disables U.S. warship

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

phlash46 wrote:

Read this post in this Forum: Russian plane totally disables U.S. warship

Saw it. Was it really "completely helpless"?

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

jerryc41 wrote:

Saw it. Was it really "completely helpless"?

Good question. No backup systems?

NeilL Loc: British-born Canadian

jerryc41 wrote:

It's like science fiction becoming reality. The navy is testing a gun that can shoot a laser beam ten miles. Cost per shot: $1.00. Cost to develop: $40 million. It must be one of the cheapest weapons systems ever.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-14/u-s-navy-deploys-its-first-laser-weapon-in-the-persian-gulf.html

Interesting. Russia will come out with a laser Nikkon.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

phlash46 wrote:

Good question. No backup systems?

It wasn't dead in the water. I doubt that the Russians could block one system and not another. The article makes it sound as if the ship ran away to hide in Romania. I doubt that was the case. If the electronics were knocked out, how could it navigate, or even move forward?

Michael Hartley Loc: Deer Capital of Georgia

40 mil to develope, that's chump change.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Michael Hartley wrote:

40 mil to develope, that's chump change.

:thumbup:

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

A ship called PONCE! Couldn't make it up, so I looked it up. Not as silly as it first seems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ponce_%28LPD-15%29

chienfou Loc: Valley Stream, NY

I remember reading that the system has been tested and approved for deployment. First ships to get it will in the Mediterranean Sea and it will be first line of defense against Iranian drones and patrol speed boats..instead of using missiles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/world/navy-deploying-laser-weapon-prototype-in-persian-gulf.html?_r=0

The military is testing a laser system against battlefield rockets similar to the Israeli Iron Dome but Laser base not with rockets. Germany has already begun deploying their system.

OonlyBonly

jerryc41 wrote:

Saw it. Was it really "completely helpless"?

If it 'allowed' fly-bys for 90 minutes it was not up to snuff at all.

SmittyOne Loc: California

jerryc41 wrote:

It's like science fiction becoming reality. The navy is testing a gun that can shoot a laser beam ten miles. Cost per shot: $1.00. Cost to develop: $40 million. It must be one of the cheapest weapons systems ever.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-14/u-s-navy-deploys-its-first-laser-weapon-in-the-persian-gulf.html

Interesting. 6 lasers. Hmmm. Sounds like the Star Trek Phaser to me. In the '70's, there was an article here in a local newspaper about Sylvania (Mtn. View, CA), developing a dual laser system that would put a two foot hole in a 1 inch thick sheet of steel in 5 milliseconds. After that, there was never any further mention of the system. Interesting.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

SmittyOne wrote:

Interesting. 6 lasers. Hmmm. Sounds like the Star Trek Phaser to me. In the '70's, there was an article here in a local newspaper about Sylvania (Mtn. View, CA), developing a dual laser system that would put a two foot hole in a 1 inch thick sheet of steel in 5 milliseconds. After that, there was never any further mention of the system. Interesting.

I've seen demos of lasers cutting through steel, but always at close range.