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US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 5:45 pm
by Denis
N. Korean missile fails seconds after launch. I wonder if the US just live-tested a laser weapon?

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/21/asia/ ... sile-test/

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:44 pm
by randy
Denis wrote:. I wonder if the US just live-tested a laser weapon?
Possible, but I don't think so. I am unable (or at least unwilling) to get into why I make that assessment.

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:48 pm
by Denis
There you go again, neither confirming nor denying :-)

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 9:37 am
by Denis
[tinfoil hat] It occurs to me that the USAF X37-B space plane is aloft at the moment, secretly doing secretive things...[/tinfoil hat]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37#OTV-4

http://www.space.com/9940-secretive-spa ... t-37b.html

http://heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=40651

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:40 pm
by BDK
Physics pretty well says no.

A "rod from god" is far more practical, though it would be more destructive, I think, unless quite small.

I know that a nuke can destroy a chemical/biological weapons depot, as the thermal front passes the pressure front - is that inherent to being a nuke, or would a large enough rod be able to do the same thing?

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:22 pm
by Vonz90
Denis wrote:N. Korean missile fails seconds after launch. I wonder if the US just live-tested a laser weapon?

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/21/asia/ ... sile-test/
Atmospheric beam weapons are mostly all short range (that I know of anyway). The diffusion in the atmosphere makes them loose power rapidly. There has been some work on x-ray lasers to get around this, but I do not think they have come up with anything practical.

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:24 pm
by Denis
BDK wrote:A "rod from god" is far more practical
I was indeed also wondering whether the X37-B might not be an experimental Thor platform. The problem would be getting the time on target right, as opposed to a laser/lightspeed weapon. OTOH, I suppose the locations of the NorK's launch testing sites are well known to the USAF.

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 12:33 am
by First Shirt
Denis wrote: OTOH, I suppose the locations of the NorK's launch testing sites are well known to the USAF.
Why, Denis! What on earth would make you think something like that?

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:14 am
by evan price
Or maybe the Norks don't have better Germans.

Re: US tests laser weapons?

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 9:24 pm
by HTRN
BDK wrote:Physics pretty well says no.

A "rod from god" is far more practical, though it would be more destructive, I think, unless quite small.

I know that a nuke can destroy a chemical/biological weapons depot, as the thermal front passes the pressure front - is that inherent to being a nuke, or would a large enough rod be able to do the same thing?
You forgot the Casaba howitzer option, although theyre not nearly as impressive in orbit to surface applications.