Raytheon-successfully-fires-high-energy-laser-from-AH-64 Apache

Who says the defense budget is bloated?

I'll take the laser and restoration of the mil GI bill pre 2000. Kthxbai
 
This is the holy grail of collateral damage prevention.

A system the size of a sniper pod could be mounted to nearly anything. The goal for all these Hellfire drone strikes has always been replacement. The ultimate goal being a system capable of targeting an individual person from stand off with no noise signature allowing multiple engagements without "burning the target." (Figurative not literally which it will in fact actually be doing).
 
Lawman said:
This is the holy grail of collateral damage prevention.

A system the size of a sniper pod could be mounted to nearly anything. The goal for all these Hellfire drone strikes has always been replacement. The ultimate goal being a system capable of targeting an individual person from stand off with no noise signature allowing multiple engagements without "burning the target." (Figurative not literally which it will in fact actually be doing).
Click to expand...

Just so long as they aren't $110,000 per shot...
 
Between stuff like this, and "rods from God, "the future of warfare is going to be incredibly interesting.
 
Is it me or did I actually miss the actual damage to the target?
 
NickH said:
Just so long as they aren't $110,000 per shot...
Click to expand...

At this point even that would be acceptable since it's the same as an R model Hellfire if only because we have more than enough money to throw at Raytheon. What we don't ever have is an unending supply of tail kits and Hellfire missiles to go schwacking individual dudes for a year straight without running out of them.

NATO ran out of JDAM and Paveway bombs and Brimstones over Libya at one point. There is never enough war stock for prolonged war. Especially not when you're using ordnance built to kill tanks against two dudes with rifles or a defensive fighting position.
 
killbilly said:
It's not just you. I think that was the really shiny bit in the picture.
Click to expand...

That wasn't the point of the test on this though. They weren't trying to cut a tree down or make popcorn (reference).

The idea for the test is do we have a mountable system that is off the shelf on its own capable of being mounted and performing without special modification to the aircraft. When they say at the end pairing it with an EO system and laser... that's the Apache integrated targeting system in the TADS on the nose.
So the point is if the pod can be mounted without any special action, where it can see from its vantage point then PRF laser from the TADS that would normally guide a missile, then from the wing under differing flight conditions have the pod put its own death laser on the same spot over distance.

It's essentially trying to get one laser pointer to look at another laser pointers spot a mile away under vibration and other issues and put its laser in the exact same point.

Probably see them test it on another PRF capable platform like a Predator to see if this design is robust enough to be the mounted death ray laser of the future.
 
Lawman said:
That wasn't the point of the test on this though. They weren't trying to cut a tree down or make popcorn (reference).
Click to expand...

"Dad - y'know - God - has something he wants to show you. Go to Dr. Hathaway's house...."

Yes. I got it. As a matter of fact, I found a tshirt for The Crossbow Project the other day...

The idea for the test is do we have a mountable system that is off the shelf on its own capable of being mounted and performing without special modification to the aircraft. When they say at the end pairing it with an EO system and laser... that's the Apache integrated targeting system in the TADS on the nose.
So the point is if the pod can be mounted without any special action, where it can see from its vantage point then PRF laser from the TADS that would normally guide a missile, then from the wing under differing flight conditions have the pod put its own death laser on the same spot over distance.

It's essentially trying to get one laser pointer to look at another laser pointers spot a mile away under vibration and other issues and put its laser in the exact same point.

Probably see them test it on another PRF capable platform like a Predator to see if this design is robust enough to be the mounted death ray laser of the future.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok. That makes more sense. It's not that they wanted a new death ray on a helo, they just wanted to see if said death ray would work under the kinds of conditions a helo creates/provides.

Got it.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
 
killbilly said:
Oh, ok. That makes more sense. It's not that they wanted a new death ray on a helo, they just wanted to see if said death ray would work under the kinds of conditions a helo creates/provides.

Got it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]

Yeah we want a death ray on far more than just the Apache.

If this turns into what it foreseeable could be it could go on anything. So first you gotta test it.... on everything.
 
I can't imagine how something like this would be employed. This weapon would melt the skin of an enemy's face and his buddies right buy them wouldn't even know what happened.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top