Laser Shoots Down Missile

So, that’s affordable

R&D is something that almost everyone agrees should be maintained at all costs…The ability to develop advanced technology is of strategic importance. We are only begining to scratch the surface with DEW’s and having some testing done in an operational setting is well worth its weight in gold….

And that is a PROTOTYPE weapons system that is not going to be the standard production if such a system is widely adopted. Developmental products would cost a heck of a lot because well they are always cutting edge….

So, that’s affordable (unless the original question was how many DIFFERENT systems can the country afford)

The laser prototype recently put on a US LPD cost just under $32 million. That’s half a jet fighter.

And that is a PROTOTYPE weapons system that is not going to be the standard production if such a system is widely adopted. Developmental products would cost a heck of a lot because well they are always cutting edge….

How many of these laser defense systems can a country afford?

The laser prototype recently put on a US LPD cost just under $32 million. That’s half a jet fighter.

In that case it would be better to turn a blind eye (Cover the eyes completely) and use a DAS like setup…However given a fighter traveling at altitude and at speed, how do such optical blinding lasers track the fighter as it maneuvers and keep up ?

That is why new pilot helmets have laser attenuation built into them.

Yes to protect against laser pointers, but what about 10 kW laser?

One application is to add this laser on AWAC for self protection, it has the power generation, space,
and it wont rain at that altitude 🙂

Those are seperate programs…A defensive/offensive system for larger crafts (AWACS, Bombers etc ) …HELLADS

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http://www.aviationweek.com/blogs.aspx?plckblogid=blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckpostid=blog%3A27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7post%3A7cb0a0b1-7082-41f8-aabb-7ad70a08a420

Lockheed/DARPA ABC: A sperate programe the same defensive ability (DEW) to the F-35 …

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http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2013/01/DARPA-Lockheed-ABC.html

One application is to add this laser on AWAC for self protection, it has the power generation, space,
and it wont rain at that altitude 🙂

http://gizmodo.com/5939593/the-awesome-5+billion-airborne-laser-is-in-the-boneyard-never-to-fire-again
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-05/airborne-laser-thought-be-grave-could-be-resurrected-congress-again
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/abl.htm

Questions that remain to be answered are:
1. What percentage of Qassam rocket flight time is within the laser’s 1.2 mile kill radius?
2. How does the laser system handle salvos of Qassams?
3. How much does one of those laser systems cost? Initial and Support?
4. What is its operational availability?

1: 100%, provided you put your laser in place as high value target defence.
2: In rapid succession, I would think. The beam can reach its target at the speed of light and can track fast-moving targets.
3: The weapon: quite a lot. The laser prototype cost just under $32 million, officials said. BUT if the weapon proves itself during its sea trials, and the order is given to buy the laser system for service across the fleet, the price per unit is expected to drop. BUT ALSO, … Among the advantages cited in the study for Congress was the low cost — less than $1 per sustained pulse — of using a high-energy laser against certain targets. By comparison, current short-range air-defense interceptor missiles cost up to $1.4 million each. The laser weapon also has a limitless supply of ammunition — pulses of high energy — so long as the ship can generate electricity.
4: The laser will not be operational until next year,
5: Among the limitations, according to the research service, is that lasers are not effective in bad weather because the beam can be disturbed or scattered by water vapor, as well as by smoke, sand and dust. It is also a “line of sight” weapon, meaning that the target has to be visible, so it cannot handle threats over the horizon. And enemies can take countermeasures like coating vessels and drones with reflective surfaces.

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

http://orbitalvector.com/Firearms/Laser%20Countermeasures/Laser%20Countermeasures.htm

One application is to add this laser on AWAC for self protection, it has the power generation, space,
and it wont rain at that altitude 🙂

And, at least for places other than sun-blessed Israel:

5. Does it work in the driving rain?

🙂

Heavy rain, snow or fog can render a LRF near useless by drastically dispersing that beam of light.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/laser-rangefinder-fundamentals.html
(I suppose that also applies to directed energy weapons)

You might find these interesting reading on the topic:
http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public//PubFullText/RTO/AG/RTO-AG-300-V26///AG-300-V26-03.pdf
http://scienceandglobalsecurity.org/archive/sgs18stupl.pdf

Meanwhile, …

Scientists analyze potential of using lasers to make rain
http://phys.org/news/2012-07-scientists-potential-lasers.html

Questions that remain to be answered are:
1. What percentage of Qassam rocket flight time is within the laser’s 1.2 mile kill radius?
2. How does the laser system handle salvos of Qassams?
3. How much does one of those laser systems cost? Initial and Support?
4. What is its operational availability?

And, at least for places other than sun-blessed Israel:

5. Does it work in the driving rain?

🙂

That is why new pilot helmets have laser attenuation built into them.

With all those headlines ”Laser pointers blinding pilots”, wouldn’t it be better to use this to blind aircraft electrooptics? It’s secondary role could be self-defense if blinding fails 😉

Questions that remain to be answered are:
1. What percentage of Qassam rocket flight time is within the laser’s 1.2 mile kill radius?
2. How does the laser system handle salvos of Qassams?
3. How much does one of those laser systems cost? Initial and Support?
4. What is its operational availability?

It is 15 seconds of video time, but that video was taken at 300 frames per second. So if the video is being displayed at 30 frames per second, target destruction required about 1.5 seconds of high-powered illumination.

If my memory is correct, Israeli communities living close to the Gaza Strip get about 15 seconds of warning time that a rocket is inbound, so the total flight time of a Qassam could be 20 seconds or more.

I counted to 15 sec of illumination before target destroyed, (distance from laser to target 1.5 km)
how fast is a quassam rocket ?