The Defense Department released a photo of the Navy's High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system engaging a drone during testing.
After the Zumwalt class and their million dollar gun, the LCS class of failures, the gutting of the incompetence around the USS Bonhomme Richard fire, the corruption of the Fat Leonard dockyard scandal, and the on going failures of the F-35 program, pardon me if I’m not impressed.
Thanks, but I get no satisfaction from it. I wish the Navy well, and feel for the sailors stuck with such nonsense. I spent a fair amount of time at sea, proving the Navy’s acronym for Marines.
From the open source documentation I read, lasers will always be a longer range CIWS due to atmospherics limiting their range. They will complement gun and shorter range (read cheaper) missile systems but can’t replace high end missile systems that can kill threats dozens of miles away. Also, should the current 20mm based gatling CIWS be replaced with lighter single barrel 30mm guns firing proximity rounds?
My first laser was built from a project article in Popular Science Magazine. It was a ruby laser excited by Xenon flashtubes. My parents helped fund it and I entered it into the high school science fair winning Superior. Fast forward from the 60’s to todays laser weapons. Great reporting.
Substack recommended me this because I just posted a comment about a government laser conspiracy theory?
Welcome lol
After the Zumwalt class and their million dollar gun, the LCS class of failures, the gutting of the incompetence around the USS Bonhomme Richard fire, the corruption of the Fat Leonard dockyard scandal, and the on going failures of the F-35 program, pardon me if I’m not impressed.
You're not wrong!
Thanks, but I get no satisfaction from it. I wish the Navy well, and feel for the sailors stuck with such nonsense. I spent a fair amount of time at sea, proving the Navy’s acronym for Marines.
My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment
UPDATE: https://laserwars.substack.com/p/navy-laser-weapon-kilby
Well, it worked against decades of brushy overgrowth in the western US to create wild fires!🙄🤬🤬🤣🤣🤣
Hawaiian fires caused by laser. Blue chairs and blue umbrellas did not burn. Memes with paint your house blue to save your home from laser fires.
How does it correct for the Earth’s curvature?
What curvature?
The death ray…
Man, that was a very long time ago 🤠
Nice
Go Navy!
From the open source documentation I read, lasers will always be a longer range CIWS due to atmospherics limiting their range. They will complement gun and shorter range (read cheaper) missile systems but can’t replace high end missile systems that can kill threats dozens of miles away. Also, should the current 20mm based gatling CIWS be replaced with lighter single barrel 30mm guns firing proximity rounds?
Some of us witnessed laser power tested on the USS Ticonderoga in the mid 80’s.
My first laser was built from a project article in Popular Science Magazine. It was a ruby laser excited by Xenon flashtubes. My parents helped fund it and I entered it into the high school science fair winning Superior. Fast forward from the 60’s to todays laser weapons. Great reporting.