Admiral: US Navy 2 years from shipmounted laser cannons

Status
Not open for further replies.
drifter

drifter

sixpackshaker said:
The test done last year on the motor boat took several seconds for the laser to burn through the motor housing. I really hope that is not what they want to release to the fleet.
Click to expand...

That particular system had a power output of 15 kW; looks like the Navy is aiming for a minimum of 60 kW lasers for the first generation, but who knows?
 
strawman

strawman

Keep in mind that each test is evaluating a different part of the system. Unless the motorboat test was evaluating system power (rather than say, tracking a slowly moving object, identifying objects, etc) then the time to burn through might not be important.

Creating a powerful laser is hard. Identifying a craft, understanding which part is best to target, and keeping the laser on that spot on the moving target is just as difficult. You can't expect a human to be able to do it like a video game - not for missiles, anyway.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top