I'd like to buy the argon laser for 25mil, thanx

[W1nTry]

Those americans... and those bright kids in the middle east :p

Laser weapons factory opens in US

Star Wars

By Nick Farrell: Thursday 18 January 2007, 07:33
NORTHROP Grumman has opened a factory for high energy laser weapons.

According to Information Week, the outfit's grand plan is to build three 100-kilowatt lasers by 2008 which could be used to shoot down rockets, artillery and mortar from ground, air or ships.

The new factory is in Redondo Beach, California and a spokesNorthrop is not saying how much it set the company back.

Apparently the military is excited because lasers require only electricity to operate and can keep firing at targets indefinitely. This principle of firing lots of bullets at a single target in the vague hope that one of them might hit something has been the principle behind US military thinking since the invention of the six gun.

Northrop's main aim is to make the lasers cheap enough for the military to actually want to buy them. Apparently the outfit has been in talks with the Israeli government on a system called Skyguard that would use lasers to shield airport and other installations from rockets, ballistic missiles and other threats. It will cost about $25-30 million for each airport.

More here. µ

[disciple]

lol reminds me of 'Real Genius' , with Val Kilmer..

[W1nTry]

Yeah it does, but its scary to think that the world is getting so bad and so paranoid that they want to put laser weaponry in airports... I mean think of what could happen if a terrorist got control of the laser? I mean really, its the whole the robber steals the gun in your house scenario... ah well end of days I suppose.

[Kenji]

Looks like they trying to make science fiction extinct, to me

[New Era Outlaw]

Hear what. We're going to fire the fricking "lay-ser" and charge the people who want it.....


*cue dramatic closeup*





ONE MEEEEEEELLION DOLLARS.


MWAHAHA, HAHAHAHA......







...sorry. =(

[disciple]

 

Yeah it does, but its scary to think that the world is getting so bad and so paranoid that they want to put laser weaponry in airports... I mean think of what could happen if a terrorist got control of the laser?

 
LOL.  what if terrorist gets a hold of it?

what about a self-righteous, over-zealous  american immigration offical?   ( cuz terrorist == middle eastern muslim)

and lets not forget, pre 911, the worst terrorist attack on US soil came at the hands of a US citizen ( tim mc veigh, oklahoma) 

i could just imagine it now...  trinis does always overstay.... or  wait.. tha man name is mohammed?   ZAPPP!!!! plane is reduced to neutrons. lol

and you thought lost luggage or missin your flight was the worst that could happen....


but on a more serious note....  let's say bush an co pass a homeland security law stating that   ( well it eh go be bush. is his last term)
northrop gonna make billions ( not to mention the money they already makin off the government for this project)

[Crixx_Creww]

Hmm, this isnt new though

THe system is called starwars, as stated in the article, and was proposed maybe 10 years ago if i remember correctly, to have laser arrays mounted on us and international space stations to destroy ballistic missles that try to reach american soil from space.

[disciple]

nah, star wars was back in the 80s..i remember seeing something with Reagan ,before congress or sumthin.


 but since the collapse of the soviet union, they couldnt justify the expense.. ( and nuff defense contractors went hungry...lol)
til now..

[Arcmanov]

Maybe the concept isn't new, but the fact that an actual factory to buy the stuff cheaply (well, REALTIVELY cheaply) exists is.
The Star Wars program was to protect America alone.  This factory will sell to the US military or any other country (allies of course) that can afford it.

When you think of the technology involved, the prices they've quoted are actually quite cheap indeed.  There are certain countries I'm sure will JUMP at this once it becomes readily available.

So can we have our antigrav drives and flying cars now?  Pretty please?

N E O you need HELP son (lol).  Seriously.

[TrinireturnofGamez]

  This will bring a new wrinkle to terrorism and politics on the whole...  If the lasers are effective enough , it won't matter if X or Y has nukes if  america and its allies can shoot them down before they hit , it'll shift the balance of power . It might even prompt a war from whoever wants to start one earlier than expected, eg. if NK realises its nukes  will soon be useless , it'll may rush to invade SK as fast as they can lay their hands on it.

   Supposedly the new F-35s the US are fielding are equipped to carry a laser to shoot down other aircraft and missles themselves.... Anyone remember the Air Force general in C&C ?

[Crixx_Creww]

shift the balance of power? O.o

that would mean to say that the power is NOT  on the allies side right now??

thats ludacris

the most dangerous nuclear powers in the world, are the "good guys"

[disciple]

to be quite honest, this whole laser thing is as big a waste of time as the blimp....
is just to make money for northrop... 
okay, yuh protect military installations, and airports, right? what about the rest of the country? stadiums.. schools.. business places...etc.. 

and then too, is  for ICBMs and if they use airplanes again ( which they won't)


what about a well placed BOMB? ( not missile)

how this 25 million dollar laser helpin against that ( if it's real purpose is homeland security)

they ain;t gonna come with no missile, cuz that go get spot by radar..

this 'war on terror' is no conventional war.. they not gonna use conventional weapons ( if they intend to attack again)

[TrinireturnofGamez]

 Isreal had been under attack from conventional rockets from Hezbollah last year , remember?  There is a chance that they may try to shoot missles at civilian planes eventually .
     Yea crixx the USA and isreal have all the nukes , but if they use them  without good cause american citizens themselves will be bombing the white house and the president won't be voted back in. Kim Jong Il can do whatever he wants and stay leader for life.

[W1nTry]

How dese men saying the US has all the firepower? they seem to forget the thousands of nukes that russia and ussr had? yuh think they just evaporated? Russia detonated the largest nuclear bomb ever the T-sar bomb. Sure the US is the premier superpower, but to say they own all, is just stupid imho. And then China has the LARGEST army and they also have nukes... I mean really, you guys sound like pro US marionets...

[W1nTry]

Errr... might make an interesting party trick... get a whole bunch of HOTT girls in a group, fire this up and watch them jump in the pool or strip.... 0_o

US Military develops new ray gun

Points it at journalists

By Nick Farrell: Thursday 25 January 2007, 07:58
Click here to find out more!
THE US military has been showing off a new ray gun which makes people think they are about to catch fire by turning it on hacks.

The weapon is expected to go into production in 2010 and was being shown off at the Moody Airforce base in the US.

Apart from the terrifying sensation, the technology is supposed to be harmless, and is supposed to make enemies drop their weapons, or in the case of the hacks their notepads and pints.

Military officials say it could save the lives of innocent civilians and service members.

During the media demonstration of the weapon, airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at hacks pretending to be rioters.

The two-man crew located their targets through powerful lenses and fired beams from more than 500 yards away. The hacks hit by the beam jumped out of the way because of the sudden blast of heat throughout the body. The ray was not painful, it was intense enough to make the participants think their pants were going to catch fire.

More here. µ