View Full Version : Boeings new "Ray Gun" ready for deployment
TheTman
10-21-2014, 02:20 PM
A short video about Boeing's new laser gun that can shoot down missiles, planes, drones, and even artillery and mortar rounds while in flight:
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/ic/des/hel_md_0514_vid.html
They say it's fully functional and ready for deployment on the battlefield.
JohnR
10-21-2014, 04:34 PM
Cool!
I hear they're developing a handheld version too.
http://media2.abcactionnews.com/photo/2014/07/26/Star%20Trek%20phaser%20remote%201_1406408773083_70 72941_ver1.0_640_480.jpg
Longitude Zero
10-21-2014, 05:01 PM
OOH la la.
mr surveyor
10-21-2014, 06:31 PM
that would make a heck of a survey buggy
muggsy
10-21-2014, 06:57 PM
A short video about Boeing's new laser gun that can shoot down missiles, planes, drones, and even artillery and mortar rounds while in flight:
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/ic/des/hel_md_0514_vid.html
They say it's fully functional and ready for deployment on the battlefield.
We ought to send a couple dozen over to Israel. They could really use them. Should keep our military safer, too.
downtownv
10-21-2014, 08:42 PM
Chicken in Chief fears it would violate EPA Standards......
O'Dell
10-22-2014, 03:42 AM
I wrote an article about this system for a military magazine several months ago. It's really quite a remarkable device and is operational now.
xsailer
10-22-2014, 08:36 AM
We ought to send a couple dozen over to Israel. They could really use them. Should keep our military safer, too.
Not too sure about that. If it ever got captured our Air superiority change immediately.
muggsy
10-22-2014, 10:00 AM
Not too sure about that. If it ever got captured our Air superiority change immediately.
I'm sure that it has a self destruct button. Hell, I can ruin something electrical in a matter of seconds. :)
xsailer
10-22-2014, 09:58 PM
Yeah. I wish they had one the drone Iran captured.
jlottmc
10-26-2014, 01:21 PM
That's cool, but I have some rhetoric questions: How many countries use a UAV or UCAV? How does the system do against multiple inbound threats? I remember more than one artillery attack and it was never a single shot. Biggest threat is mortars followed by artillery, missiles are expensive, and hadji doesn't have many. What about IED's, or an electronic attack? I assume that they have to link up to other radar systems due to a lack of on board radar, either stealth or an attack on the wireless connection might play hell with this toy. Like I said it's cool, but cool doesn't bring you home at the end of the day.
yqtszhj
10-26-2014, 04:25 PM
Do I have to do ATF paperwork to get one of those or can i order it on the internet and have it shipped to the house? :rolleyes:
Planedude
10-27-2014, 06:11 AM
That's cool, but I have some rhetoric questions: How many countries use a UAV or UCAV? How does the system do against multiple inbound threats? I remember more than one artillery attack and it was never a single shot. Biggest threat is mortars followed by artillery, missiles are expensive, and hadji doesn't have many. What about IED's, or an electronic attack? I assume that they have to link up to other radar systems due to a lack of on board radar, either stealth or an attack on the wireless connection might play hell with this toy. Like I said it's cool, but cool doesn't bring you home at the end of the day.
The current thought on the laser is a part of the puzzle. To pick one scenario, that of a outpost or "firebase", The laser and its sensors would sweep the skies for incoming fire (mortar or artillery), calculate and engage the most dangerous oncoming threats and send an out going "stamp of disapproval" before the first rounds have time to land. If you can track the threat well enough to lase it, then you know exactly from where the round came. The equally developed Dragon fire II auto-loading mortar unit could be retuning fire (counterbattery) before the BGs can roll up their tent and run...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdunGQYmzro
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/weapons/a/dragonfire.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77nVrVyXi_o
The high tech is catching up to the low tech "lob a few and run" tactics of our enemies.
jlottmc
10-27-2014, 07:32 AM
Sounds all well and good, but these technologies are still in their infancy. As time works the bugs out and brings the cost down, I may get more excited. Many times hadji is still close enough to find with a moderately calibrated Mk1 mod 0 eyeball. Add in a little close air support and well there's video of what happens then too.
Planedude
10-28-2014, 06:13 AM
Got to love your friends in the AC-130U... And they will be getting a new bird, an AC-130J in the next couple... And yes a turreted 60Kw+ laser is being considered as part of the package. That weapon would be for self defense from shoulder fired and mobile launcher SAMs as well as a "low collateral" offensive weapon. Lasers don't ricochet!
Good stuff is coming, pending funding...
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