[Ghostavo]

Yet another milestone.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Boeing-Laser-MATRIX-Avenger-Weapon,news-5157.html

Boeing successfully shot down unmanned aircraft by shooting lasers.

In September, we reported that Boeing successfully defeated a ground target using its Advanced Tactical Laser aircraft. Now the company has shown its laser prowess again by tracking and destroying small, unmanned aerial vehicles in the air. A single laser beam, fired by the U.S. Air Force-sponsored Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX), shot down five UAVs at various ranges.

"The Air Force and Boeing achieved a directed-energy breakthrough with these tests," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit. "MATRIX's performance is especially noteworthy because it demonstrated unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively low laser power."

In addition to the MATRIX's successful mission, Boeing's privately funded program, Laser Avenger, shot down a UAV as well. Laser Avenger integrates a directed-energy weapon with existing kinetic weapons on an Avenger air defense system. MATRIX, on the other hand, is a mobile, trailer-mounted test bed that integrates with existing test-range radar, according to Boeing.

Boeing is currently developing laser weapon systems for a variety of U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy applications.

Previous threads:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=61898
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=65471

[headdie]

wont take long for the system to be adapted for armored warfare, lets face it they just proved the concept.

[Thaeris]

Yes, but that's tastelessly practical. I want tastelessly impractical...

   ...Like SHARKS WITH FRIGGIN' LASER BEAMS ON THEIR FOREHEADS!!!

 

[NGTM-1R]

wont take long for the system to be adapted for armored warfare, lets face it they just proved the concept.

Aircraft are a lot easier to kill than tanks.

[headdie]

wont take long for the system to be adapted for armored warfare, lets face it they just proved the concept.

Aircraft are a lot easier to kill than tanks.

true but but in the air you have weight restrictions on anything short of say a AC-130 or similar that are less of an issue on the ground

[FUBAR-BDHR]

OK we've had this technology for years now and it was a proven concept.  The only thing they had to fix to make it work was making it small enough to fit in a 747.  So I don't know why it's big news all of a sudden.  The fact they are releasing these test now probably means we've secretly had it for years but something political is about to hit and a message needs to be sent. 

Now as for the tank vs aircraft thing the system was meant to shoot down missiles as they are being fired thus dumping their payload back on the country launching.  It's meant to heat the object up to the point the fuel explodes.  This in theory would work on anything metal on the ground or in the air.  Not too sure how it wold do against something like a stealth fighter that is mostly composites though. 

[BloodEagle]

This in theory would work on anything metal on the ground or in the air.  Not too sure how it wold do against something like a stealth fighter that is mostly composites though. 

I demand that this be tested! 

Anyone know how to get hold of a multi-million dollar war machine? 

[MR_T3D]

This in theory would work on anything metal on the ground or in the air.  Not too sure how it wold do against something like a stealth fighter that is mostly composites though. 

I demand that this be tested! 

Anyone know how to get hold of a multi-million dollar war machine? 

tony stark..?

[StarSlayer]

So for Death Rays now a Reality 4 will they be attached to sharks' heads?

[MR_T3D]

So for Death Rays now a Reality 4 will they be attached to sharks' heads?

i think we need the man-portable one first, reality 5 should, though.

[StarSlayer]

So for Death Rays now a Reality 4 will they be attached to sharks' heads?

i think we need the man-portable one first, reality 5 should, though.

Guess i'll make do with ill tempered sea bass.

[watsisname]

OK we've had this technology for years now and it was a proven concept.  The only thing they had to fix to make it work was making it small enough to fit in a 747.  So I don't know why it's big news all of a sudden.  The fact they are releasing these test now probably means we've secretly had it for years but something political is about to hit and a message needs to be sent. 

My thoughts exactly.

[Mika]

I recall having seen lots of books in Optics about the atmospheric behavior of laser beams. Could be related, I don't know. Also I have never heard much of the results achieved in SDI program and suspect that not all of it have been given to public.