U.S. Army’s New Laser Cannon Blasts Drones Out of the Sky, Even in Fog

[Winchester]

• BY JORDAN GOLSON
  
• 09.05.14 |
  
• 6:30 AM |
  

Boeing

Boeing is building a laser cannon for the U.S. Army, and the new weapon has now proved it will be as capable at sea as on land. The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD)—basically a high-energy laser mounted on top of a big truck—was successfully used to blast some UAV drones and 60mm mortars out of the Florida sky earlier this year, Boeing announced Thursday.

This test was done in a windy and foggy environment, an essential step to proving the technology is useful for naval deployment. The HEL MD used a 10-kilowatt laser—a much less powerful version of what it will eventually fire—to “successfully engage” more than 150 targets at Eglin Air Force Base, a Department of Defense weapons testing facility on the Florida Panhandle. In other words, it disabled or destroyed them.

In simple terms, the laser makes an incredibly powerful, highly focused beam of light and aims it at a moving target. Light equals heat, and, after enough heat has been transferred, the target is compromised and crashes or blows up. The Army and Boeing (which landed a $36 million contract for the project) have been working on this for the better part of a decade, par for the course for a next-generation weapons platform.

The lithium ion batteries that power the HEL MD’s laser are charged by a 60 kW diesel generator, so if the Army can keep the fuel tank full, they can shoot down incoming threats indefinitely. The system uses a telescope and infrared-based, wide field of view camera to locate and designate targets. Boeing has designed the system to be operated by a driver and an operator with a laptop and an Xbox controller. Putting it on a truck makes the system mobile, and thus much more useful in battle situations.

The next step for the laser cannon will be to up the power to 50 or 60 kilowatts, a “tactically significant power level” for use against incoming rockets, artillery and mortar strikes, and UAV drones. The laser cannon isn’t expected to be ready for use in the field for several more years, at least.

Video in the link
Army’s New Laser Cannon Blasts Drones Out of the Sky, Even in Fog | Autopia | WIRED

 

[TheNoob]

So... it shoots lasers?
beem beem beem.
Star wars?
wut..

 

[OrionHunter]

The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD)—basically a high-energy laser mounted on top of a big truck—was successfully used to blast some UAV drones and 60mm mortars out of the Florida sky earlier this year, Boeing announced Thursday.

Since when have 60mm mortars started flying?? Another new weapon system from the US of A - flying mortars!!

The author should have said 60mm mortar bombs, not mortars! Clueless dumbos!

 

[C130]

Since when have 60mm mortars started flying?? Another new weapon system from the US of A - flying mortars!!

The author should have said 60mm mortar bombs, not mortars! Clueless dumbos!

what are you babbling about
I hate BMD with missiles, but lasers seems more practical especially when you can scale them up to the 100KW range//

 

[OrionHunter]

what are you babbling about
I hate BMD with missiles, but lasers seems more practical especially when you can scale them up to the 100KW range//

Did you even bother to read my post? I said nothing about BMD or missiles or lasers. I was talking about 'flying mortars' that the author mentioned.

Next time make an effort to read posts first before babbling.

 

[C130]

Did you even bother to read my post? I said nothing about BMD or missiles or lasers. I was talking about 'flying mortars' that the author mentioned.

Next time make an effort to read posts first before babbling.

the first sentence was regarding your post
the second sentence was my opinion on the topic.

pretty sure mortars do fly or glide or w/e
point is you can shoot them out of the sky with a missile/laser/ or cannon fire like skyshield.

you just made a dumb post that is all.

 

[OrionHunter]

the first sentence was regarding your post
the second sentence was my opinion on the topic.

pretty sure mortars do fly or glide or w/e
point is you can shoot them out of the sky with a missile/laser/ or cannon fire like skyshield.

you just made a dumb post that is all.

Oh God! Why do I even bother to reply?

Mortars fly? Nope! Mortars don't fly! Mortar bombs are fired into the sky from the ground using mortars. If you still insist that mortars fly with their bombs too, then you need to see a shrink, pronto.

You need to go to a field firing range to witness this. Otherwise you will continue shooting crap.

 

[C130]

Oh God! Why do I even bother to reply?

Mortars fly? Nope! Mortars don't fly! Mortar bombs are fired into the sky from the ground using mortars. If you still insist that mortars fly with their bombs too, then you need to see a shrink, pronto.

You need to go to a field firing range to witness this. Otherwise you will continue shooting crap.

think you are reading too much into this.

a mortar is lobbed into the air in a ballistic trajectory technically they are flying/gliding til they hit the ground.
but seriously who cares?

who calls them mortar bombs or flying mortars??? we all know what they are and what they do.

here is a mortar being destroyed while in the air.

 

[banvanaxl]

Oh God! Why do I even bother to reply?
Mortars fly? Nope! Mortars don't fly! Mortar bombs are fired into the sky from the ground using mortars. If you still insist that mortars fly with their bombs too, then you need to see a shrink, pronto.
You need to go to a field firing range to witness this. Otherwise you will continue shooting crap.

who calls them mortar bombs or flying mortars??? we all know what they are and what they do.

Seriously chaps!! Grow up

Mortar (weapon) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[acid rain]

one's talking about mortar guns while the other's talking about mortar shells/rounds.

 

[C130]

one's talking about mortar guns while the other's talking about mortar shells/rounds.

 

[gambit]

Oh God! Why do I even bother to reply?

Mortars fly? Nope! Mortars don't fly! Mortar bombs are fired into the sky from the ground using mortars. If you still insist that mortars fly with their bombs too, then you need to see a shrink, pronto.

You need to go to a field firing range to witness this. Otherwise you will continue shooting crap.

Why do you even need to get into this discussion ? Like the man said, you read way too much into a single comment.

But if you want to get technical about it, any body that exploit aerodynamic forces in order to maintain stability in flight, which increases range and assorted other benefits of flight, then that body is an aircraft. That mean a mortar round, or bomb, is for a brief period of time -- an aircraft. The words 'flight' and 'flying' are not restrained to powered flight because a glider, a non-powered vehicle, is very much an aircraft. The Space Shuttle is an aircraft.

So...

M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar System (LWCMS)

The high angle trajectory and long time of flight causes the mortar to be vulnerable to enemy counter fire.

...There you go. Now make an appointment with a shrink.

 

[C130]

alright to get back on track. what's the best spot to attack a missile,rocket,mortar,drone w/e with a laser.

one would think the warhead
but wouldn't it be easier and faster to attack the tail area?

 

[jammersat]

So the american laser was designed to take out drones , not incoming warheads , what a surprise

 

[C130]

So the american laser was designed to take out drones , not incoming warheads , what a surprise

what are you talking about it takes out Grad type rockets and mortars as well

scale it up to a few 100KW on a warship it'll be shooting down anti ship missiles and possibly ballistic missiles.