The BBC news reported on July 19th that a successful test of a solid-state aser as a weapons platform was demonstrated in Great Britain at an aerospace trade show. The company is U.S. defense contractor Raytheon Corporation. The address for the news article is below:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10682693
The initial application for the new weapons platform is for long-range defense of U.S. naval ships that work in tandem with the 20 mm gatling cannons which are meant to destroy incoming missiles.
There is a great amount of potential for land-based defense systems, which could dwarf any potential sea-based systems. There is also the potential to use the weapons offensively in air, land, and sea by the end of the next decade, possibly by the end of this decade.
With this new type of weapon that has great potential , there are ethical issues involved.
1. Range of firing at a target can be measured in miles when sufficiently powered.
2. Militarization of space a la James Bond in "Diamonds are Forever". All you need is a sufficient capacitor to store the energy and a sufficiently sized solar panel array.
3. Once fired at a target, almost a 100% hit rate and kill rate.
4. The countries with the most technology have a new devastating power over countries that do not have the technological and economic resources to manufacture laser weaponry.If you can hit an enemy anytime, anywhere, fear and paranoia could spread among the third and second world.
But I see a good side to the development of this technology. In order to create any fusion or possibly matter/anti-matter reactors, sufficiently powered lasers are needed to excite the gases into the required temperature range to reach the fourth state of matter, plasma.
A planetary defense system against asteroids could be developed to prevent the human species from becoming extinct by a massive impact on the Earth's surface.
What are your thoughts?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10682693
The initial application for the new weapons platform is for long-range defense of U.S. naval ships that work in tandem with the 20 mm gatling cannons which are meant to destroy incoming missiles.
There is a great amount of potential for land-based defense systems, which could dwarf any potential sea-based systems. There is also the potential to use the weapons offensively in air, land, and sea by the end of the next decade, possibly by the end of this decade.
With this new type of weapon that has great potential , there are ethical issues involved.
1. Range of firing at a target can be measured in miles when sufficiently powered.
2. Militarization of space a la James Bond in "Diamonds are Forever". All you need is a sufficient capacitor to store the energy and a sufficiently sized solar panel array.
3. Once fired at a target, almost a 100% hit rate and kill rate.
4. The countries with the most technology have a new devastating power over countries that do not have the technological and economic resources to manufacture laser weaponry.If you can hit an enemy anytime, anywhere, fear and paranoia could spread among the third and second world.
But I see a good side to the development of this technology. In order to create any fusion or possibly matter/anti-matter reactors, sufficiently powered lasers are needed to excite the gases into the required temperature range to reach the fourth state of matter, plasma.
A planetary defense system against asteroids could be developed to prevent the human species from becoming extinct by a massive impact on the Earth's surface.
What are your thoughts?