"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to Die....."

[mixedgas]

Ahh... Good point. In that case, I withdraw my objection. I hadn't considered that this was merely an aiming capability demonstration. If they do have gobs of reserve power, then they should be able to do some real damage.

Adam

Public details of the Contract says 100 Kw++++. That was NOT 100 Kw.

If they release a video of a full power test, you can get a estimate of the spot size, actual power etc...


Think of that from a "soft" target perspective
Even if they only hit 10 kW, soft targets are toast.
Wavelength is 1.35 u or so. Biological targets would be badly fried. If your a soft target, you had best beware, The claimed 15 kilometers is too far for a small bullet, So now you have to have a spherical perimeter containing V = .5(4/3 pi R^3) = huge. Bullet wounds are small and often fixable, a deep slagged spot on a human body is a whole new ballgame as skin does not readily regrow. How do you defend a patrol sized force without SAM/AAA and long range radar?

Steve

[Kiwi Tinker]

Heya all

What happens if the missles or any target for that matter are covered in a reflective substance, would'nt the laser beam just mearly bounce off. And the beam be totally ineffective?

cheers

robert

[Stuka]

Not many military targets would be covered in a reflective surface -

That's kind of like painting on a big bulls eye for heat seekers and optically tracked weapons...

[mccarrot]

Now planes and vehicles are painted with radar absorbing paint, to be less visible for radar, in the future they will be painted with laser reflective paint to be less vulnerable for laser attacks.

I'm talking about the future, where heat seeking weapons are old technology

[daedal]

You don't think the metal undreneath the paint is reflective?

--DDL

[mixedgas]

Heya all

What happens if the missles or any target for that matter are covered in a reflective substance, would'nt the laser beam just mearly bounce off. And the beam be totally ineffective?

cheers

robert

Nope, not at these kinds of powers. You just start a ******* in air a little bit away from the .........

Oh Never mind :-)

Steve

[Kiwi Tinker]

Heya Mixed Gas

Could you fill the gaps in, i'm more than a little slow?

cheers

robert

[300EVIL]

What Steve is saying is that the laser beam can be focused right above the surface of the target. In doing so, the air becomes a ball of hot glowing plasma that starts burning the surface based on the superheated air above it. From there, it's like a hot knife through butter. Also, when you get far enough into the infared spectrum, glass and reflective surfaces are as good as black cardboard for absorption at these wavelengths.

[Kiwi Tinker]

heya 300evil

Thanks, i get it now.

cheers

robert

[flecom]

wonder how many kpps it can do

very cool