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posted by n1 on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the another-settlement-needs-our-help dept.

The toy-like drones destroyed during an Army field exercise at Fort Sill, Okla., last month weren't anything special; however, the way they were brought down -- zapped out of the sky by lasers mounted on a Stryker armored vehicle -- might grab people's attention.

The first soldier to try out the lasers was Spc. Brandon Sallaway, a forward observer with the 4th Infantry Division. He used a Mobile Expeditionary High Energy Laser to shoot down an 18-by-10-inch drone at 650 yards, an Army statement said.

"It's nothing too complicated but you have to learn how to operate each system and get used to the controls which is exactly like a video game controller," said Sallaway, who hadn't fired a laser before the exercise.

The drone-killing laser was relatively low energy -- only 5 kilowatts -- but the Army has tested much more powerful weapons. A 30-kilowatt truck-mounted High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator shot down dozens of mortar rounds and several drones in November 2013 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Since then, researchers have made rapid advances in laser weapons, said Bob Ruszkowski, who works on air dominance projects and unmanned systems in Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works facility.

"We're really on the cusp of seeing the introduction of lasers in future systems," he said.

Which do you prefer, lasers or plasma weapons?


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by takyon on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:20AM (4 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:20AM (#518120) Journal

    A laser gun is a tool, not a weapon.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:33AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:33AM (#518122)

    Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic.

  • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:49PM

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:49PM (#518402) Journal

    It can be both. [merriam-webster.com]

    1
    : something (such as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

    If it's purpose is to destroy things then it's a weapon.

  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday May 31 2017, @08:44PM (1 child)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday May 31 2017, @08:44PM (#518504)

    A 5mW laser can blind from a distance.

    A 5KW laser is a million times more powerful, it does more than pop black balloons - calling it a tool instead of a weapon is like calling a Samurai sword a really good butter knife.

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    • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday June 01 2017, @12:25PM

      by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Thursday June 01 2017, @12:25PM (#518805) Homepage
      You should see my two-handed letter opener!
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