Could this ever happen in real life?

[BUMP]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Combat

this is a cool flying game that i played when i was little. among this game there were superweapons such as huge rayguns and a laser firing tower.

do you think those two weapons could be built in real life?

serious question

[AFBlue]

Don't have any specific knowledge, but there's a whole division dedicated to Special Weapons development in the Air Force.

[BUMP]

Don't have any specific knowledge, but there's a whole division dedicated to Special Weapons development in the Air Force.

this looks pretty sick and i think it could be a good idea, just not sure how realistic it could be

http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/Excalibur

[LnGrrrR]

Check out Magnetic Railguns. Those things rock.

[Nbadan]

i think the military wastes money on obsolete weapons or weapons with little actual combat use in missions that the military does today....highly populated areas against a clandestine enemy.....a lot of it is graft, but some is also a lack of vision..with the right initiative a rouge military could be built at a fraction of the cost that could rival the hundreds of billions we spend every year....just takes vision..

[Wild Cobra]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Combat

this is a cool flying game that i played when i was little. among this game there were superweapons such as huge rayguns and a laser firing tower.

do you think those two weapons could be built in real life?

serious question
I was under the impression we already have them, but have no need to show them off.

[Wild Cobra]

Check out Magnetic Railguns. Those things rock.
Yes, but they throw this a bit more dense than rocks.

[Halberto]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#Directed-energy_weapon

Tesla... the most amazing mind in the history of mankind imo

[Agloco]

It's been around since the mid-2000's. Development probably started in the early 90's.

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/silent_guardian/



The Silent Guardian™ protection system is a revolutionary less-than-lethal directed energy application that employs millimeter wave technology to repel individuals or crowds without causing injury. The system provides a zone of protection that saves lives, protects assets and minimizes collateral damage. Silent Guardian produces precise effects at longer ranges than current less-than-lethal systems and provides real-time ability to establish intent and de-escalate aggression. Various commercial and military applications include law enforcement, checkpoint security, facility protection, force protection and peacekeeping missions.

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/8/2008/10/silent_guardian_85_178002xx85.jpg

[Agloco]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#Directed-energy_weapon

Tesla... the most amazing mind in the history of mankind imo

One of them, definitely.

[Agloco]

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41526.pdf


Department of Defense (DOD) development work on high-energy military lasers, which has been underway for decades, has reached the point where lasers capable of countering certain surface and air targets at ranges of about a mile could be made ready for installation on Navy surface ships over the next few years. More powerful shipboard lasers, which could become ready for installation in subsequent years, could provide Navy surface ships with an ability to counter a wider range of surface and air targets at ranges of up to about 10 miles. These more powerful lasers might, among other things, provide Navy surface ships with a terminal-defense capability against certain ballistic missiles, including the anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that China is believed to be developing.

The Navy and DOD are developing three principal types of lasers for potential use on Navy surface ships—fiber solid state lasers (SSLs), slab SSLs, and free electron lasers (FELs). The Navy’s fiber SSL prototype demonstrator is called the Laser Weapon System (LaWS). Among DOD’s multiple efforts to develop slab SSLs for military use is the Maritime Laser Demonstration (MLD), a prototype laser weapon developed as a rapid demonstration project. The Navy has developed a lower-power FEL prototype and is now developing a prototype with scaled-up power. These lasers differ in terms of their relative merits as potential shipboard weapons.

For purposes of this report, the term “short range” generally refers to ranges of one or two nautical miles, while references to longer ranges or extended ranges refer to ranges of up to about 10 nautical miles. Lasers are one type of directed energy weapon (DEW); other DEWs include microwave weapons and millimeter wave weapons.


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NX-FRcJv0Sk/TZ-dnmGq-wI/AAAAAAAALB4/cmXsQsSWP9w/s1600/navylasers2.jpg

[coyotes_geek]

It's been around since the mid-2000's. Development probably started in the early 90's.

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/silent_guardian/




http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/8/2008/10/silent_guardian_85_178002xx85.jpg

I remember seeing a 60 minutes piece on this thing a couple of years ago. The gist of the story was about the debate whether or not to deploy these things in Iraq. On one hand, it's a great tool to disperse angry mobs without having to risk anyone (on either side) getting killed or injured. On the other, it's a great tool to torture someone with because it inflicts severe pain without causing any physical damage whatsoever. At the time of the story, none of these were being used over there.

[Agloco]

On the other, it's a great tool to torture someone with because it inflicts severe pain without causing any physical damage whatsoever.

Depends on the duration of exposure.

[LnGrrrR]

Yes, but they throw this a bit more dense than rocks.

Ouch, that pun hurt WC. :lol

[Wild Cobra]

Ouch, that pun hurt WC. :lol
Believe it or not, I have a sense of humor.

[AFBlue]

i think the military wastes money on obsolete weapons or weapons with little actual combat use in missions that the military does today....highly populated areas against a clandestine enemy.....a lot of it is graft, but some is also a lack of vision..with the right initiative a rouge military could be built at a fraction of the cost that could rival the hundreds of billions we spend every year....just takes vision..

Typical acquisitions, especially those with emerging technology, take anywhere from 15-20 years to develop from requirements definition to deployment. They're then typically in service for another 20-30 years. Rapid acquisition has taken place for proven technologies to combat the "now" threat, but most programs are developed with future threats in mind.

[AFBlue]

It's been around since the mid-2000's. Development probably started in the early 90's.

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/silent_guardian/




http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/8/2008/10/silent_guardian_85_178002xx85.jpg

One of the projects managed out of the Special Weapons division I mentioned earlier.

[boutons_deux]

I expect these "harmless" crowd control weapons, that heat your skin or deafen you with focused beams of sound, will be always used much more on unarmed dissenters, in all countries, including USA, than they'll ever be used on armed militants.

[ElNono]

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R41526.pdf

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NX-FRcJv0Sk/TZ-dnmGq-wI/AAAAAAAALB4/cmXsQsSWP9w/s1600/navylasers2.jpg

Does that thing comes Turbo Charged?

[DMC]

Spin them up and watch them go

[Creepn]

I think our very own Brooks Airforce base specializes in those laser weapons. Could be wrong though, just what I heard.

[AFBlue]

I think our very own Brooks Airforce base specializes in those laser weapons. Could be wrong though, just what I heard.

Brooks was shut down as a part of the BRAC process. I think whatever was managed out of there has been shifted to one of the other program office locations.