Anti-aircraft laser unveiled at Farnborough Airshow

Lasers will be useless, no matter if they are diode based, chemical based, X-matter based..IR lasers are useless as weapons, they can’t deliver enough power per area of ‘eye’

Unless lasers move to UV frequencies every laser system will be impractical.

More comprehensive coverage, pictures and slideshow here

The concept has potential, but I can’t see a laser-based CIWS system having much success outside of the US Navy. When it comes to CIWS most countries generally go for the cheapest solution avaiable, sometimes even manned AA guns(the Type 45s).

Lol, i guess it will always need a backup, OTOH how well does radar guidance work in a snowstorm ? disregarding degraded kinetic missile performance.

Probably depends on the frequency. ISTR mm-wave stuff doesn’t like rain.

Lol, i guess it will always need a backup, OTOH how well does radar guidance work in a snowstorm ? disregarding degraded kinetic missile performance.

First prove that it works in a snowstorm or a tropical downpour …

Video of the laser shooting down a small UAV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3zxxogDRIw

I’d be surprised if it could do anything meaningful to supersonic antiship missiles because of its relatively low power and resulting long dwell time. It’s a 32kw class laser whereas MIRACL, which shot down Vandal targets (Mach 2.5, low altitude ramjet powered retired Talos missiles) back in the 80s was in the megawatt class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es1WjrJdFno

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/miracl.htm

If the laser couldn’t hit supersonic targets, it’d be of only marginal usefulness. The fact that it’s said to be able to hit rockets leads me to believe that supersonic targets aren’t an issue.
I’m more interested in the effective range.

Two interesting questions:
-Whats the range of this technology? 100miles or lesser?
–Did the laser hit a sub-sonic UAV or did it hit a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile?

Current technology for strike aircraft includes:
– high power AESA’s
– long-range stand-off A2G missiles
Does this mean the launch platform (strike fighter) is safe from laser based defences.

However if this laser can intercept an incoming supersonic anti-ship cruise missile …. things become interesting.

You can make the beam coloured, but it’d serve no purpose to. In fact it might help the enemy.

What did interest me about the story is that they say the laser could be stored anywhere on the ship, with fibre cabling sending the beam. That would certianly be a useful trick, store the bulky part of your CIWS in whatever space you like.

The future is upon us. Funny how after seeing all the sci-fi films, they mention that the laser will actually be invisible…so no cool red or green beam flying towards the target. :p

—–JT—–