this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2024
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  • The UK said it test-fired a laser beam weapon in a "groundbreaking" trial.
  • The Ministry of Defence said it could neutralize targets for just $0.12 a shot.
  • Countries are racing to develop weapons that can combat drones and missiles.
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[–] [email protected] 83 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The U.K.? This is not a good sign... you know what this usually means...

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

I miss 9 every day 😭

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

EXTERMINATE. ANNIHILATE.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Btw, what is that supposed to be?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 months ago

Well now you ruined the surprise.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Billie is no Jenna Coleman, but she's still cute.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I would let 90% of the entire cast run a train on me.

[–] [email protected] 76 points 3 months ago (4 children)

The kill to cost-savings ratio on this is amazing. We can kill so many for so little!

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Leaving so much room for activities!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

so much room for activities

The new Ford class carriers have a nuclear reactor in them that outputs about 2x as much power as the ship actually needs. If/when these are ready for prime time, prepare or some raves on the flight deck!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

The USN already has two or three active DEW systems deployed and the next generation, HELCAP, is in testing now.

https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/sea-air-space-2024/2024/04/us-navy-readies-300-kw-helcap-laser-system-for-intercept-tests/

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

This will be used against drones and missiles. Does make me wonder what the cost per bullet is for militaries though

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago (3 children)

I know, I know, Quora, but this seems properly researched.

$0.23 for a round of 5.56, $0.76 for a round of 7.62. Ish.

Keep in mind, too, that lasers fire in about as straight a line as you can hope for, while bullets do not. It's going to take a lot more bullets fired to neutralize a target than laser "rounds" fired.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

And laser rounds have a velocity of the speed of light, so it's pretty hard to miss if you have a perfect sight on the target

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I was thinking about potential for inaccuracy due to refraction from thermal inversion layers or other temperature anomalies, but then I realized that the refraction would equally affect the optics, provided that the optics remain on target throughout the firing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

If I was designing a laser weapons system, I would probably include a targeting laser that would be of the same wavelength, and use that to automatically correct any alignment. A targeting laser, or series of lasers would require extremely tiny amounts of power compared to firing the laser weapon.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

In that case, when WW3 hits I guess I’ll use my toilet tank lid for armor

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Stylish and protected, nice combo

[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Yeah... those figures might be outdated. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't 5.56 basically the same as a .223? If so Cabellas has them in a price range of $.60-$2.20/pc. Not that the price difference is what I'm correcting. What I intended to point out was that just because you can get ammo for $.23 doesn't mean your actual cost is guna be $.23/pc. In my experience with cheap ammo you're guna have at least 1 jammed per magazine on your best days. Unlike most things, you get what you pay for with ammo. I have 3 types of ammo for my AR. 1 cheap bulk box for making it rain lead at the range. 1 mid ranged box for actual use shooting coyotes, beavers and Coons. And the last ammo type are closer to the $2.20/pc price for when there is ever a scenario where I need to send 2 bullets through the same bullet hole from 500yds out. Lol half kidding but for real the bullet to bullet consistency for weight and concentricity of the $2.20 priced ammo to the .60 priced ammo is clear as day.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Read the link. Those were rough prices for the military, and the poster admits that the prices are a little out of date. He's not referring to what you'd pay at a sporting goods store.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Did you even read my post or did you stop at the 5th word lol.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

I read the whole thing about how much ammo costs at retail for an individual consumer.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I can guarantee you're not coming close to the bulk buy per-item discount the military gets

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Cruise missiles are usually shot down with interceptor missiles, which are a lot more expensive.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

For a less than you pay for a cup of coffee, you can evaporate 10 or even 50 people!

[–] [email protected] 43 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

On its head, specifically?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

No sharks, but perhaps sea bass

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Slightly ticked off.. or no deal

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago (2 children)

defeated by fog, cloud cover.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

Or a mirror

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

There has already been work clearing clouds with lasers.

https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/28317

https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/content/Retrievals_of_Thick_Cloud_Optical_Depth_from_the_Geoscience_Laser_Altimeter_System_GLAS_by

IR and UV both seem to penetrate clouds, but I can't say if they will retain their focus as a directed beam.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Wasn't there this YouTuber that made a laser mosquito trap? It's just a matter of time until that will be used against humans.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago
[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

my what a savings

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So let's not invent a shield that can stop any fast incoming forces using arcane physical effects... Heard that turns out badly

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

Nah, we definitely need some AT fields.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Well... MW8 will be saddly very boring.

Press F to activate the drone killer automated system

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

But did it go "Pew pew"?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Is it called Megiddo?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

The US has been playing with these kinds of lasers for over a decade now. Last I saw a demonstration, the laser wasn't powerful enough to just zap something. It had to focus on a warhead and heat it up until it exploded. It wouldn't work on a missile in flight. Maybe they improved it, but I suspect the introduction of slow drones like the Iranian Shahed made it feasible.

The cost per shot was pennies a decade ago. But how fast can they shoot these? It must be able to shoot fast and constantly if you want to deal with swarms.