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bobdina
10-16-2009, 09:06 PM
C-130 laser successfully hits moving target

Staff report
Posted : Friday Oct 16, 2009 16:17:42 EDT

Last month, a laser-equipped C-130 Hercules successfully attacked a parked truck during a test of the Advanced Tactical Laser.

Now, the Air Force and Boeing have announced that the laser-armed C-130 struck a moving target during a Sept. 19 test at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The laser, fired from a turret in belly of the C-130, melted a hole in the truck’s fender as it was driven by remote control. No pictures or video were released of the attack.

"The Advanced Tactical Laser has now precisely targeted and engaged both stationary and moving targets, demonstrating the transformational versatility of this speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit.

Air Force officials have said the laser system is still too bulky to field. The chemicals and equipment needed to produce the high-powered laser fill most of the C-130’s cargo hold. A long-term goal is creating solid-state laser that would be smaller and easy to maintain


http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/10/airforce_c130_laser_101609w/

Toki
10-16-2009, 09:34 PM
I saw a video of one of the tests. I can't wait until a smaller version gets deployed on the F-35... as advertised.

bobdina
10-16-2009, 09:37 PM
I know some guy's were disappointed in the last test, but you have to remember these are not for killing tanks or thick skinned items.

Reactor-Axe-Man
10-17-2009, 01:12 AM
They're up to 150 kW output with solid state lasers at this point, which is certainly within the tactical weapon energy threshold. Chemical lasers are pretty much a dead end as tactical weapons, but the lessons learned with beam collimation, adaptive optics for the mirrors, and tracking/holding the beam on target will still apply no matter the source of the beam.

GTFPDQ
10-17-2009, 01:30 AM
I have a laser and my dog cant catch it.