We'll have laser weapons in two years
- Thread starter Erttheking
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My best guess is that it will sink.FrozenCones said:
OT: Okay. The U.S. military has developed lightning guns, railguns, powered exoskeletons, and they're working on reasonably sized laser beams.
Where's my goddamn satellite ion cannon?
The way that mirrors work makes them utterly useless against a military-grade laser. The mirror would melt. A crystal (how do you make a crystal boat?) would also just melt, or fracture - depending on the exact type of crystal.
There are, however, defenses against laser weaponry. Ablation can allow a bit of armor to evaporate instead of heating up, allowing other layers of the armor to delay a penetration for a much longer amount of time (when compared to steel plate). Heat-resistant ceramics are also capable of surviving much higher temperatures than steel or other armor materials.
As for plasma... I'm pretty sure that plasma weaponry aren't just science fiction, but aren't exactly a practical idea. Antimatter weaponry, though, that's what I'm waiting for.
There are, however, defenses against laser weaponry. Ablation can allow a bit of armor to evaporate instead of heating up, allowing other layers of the armor to delay a penetration for a much longer amount of time (when compared to steel plate). Heat-resistant ceramics are also capable of surviving much higher temperatures than steel or other armor materials.
As for plasma... I'm pretty sure that plasma weaponry aren't just science fiction, but aren't exactly a practical idea. Antimatter weaponry, though, that's what I'm waiting for.
The point is that any kind of projected plasma we can reasonably make at this point would be about as combat effective in atmosphere as a kid with an aerosol can and a lighter (less so actually, the kid can easily avoid setting himself on fire...). Its supercharged gas, keeping it contained enough to be useful at anything but point blank range makes achieving global peace seem like child's play. A static discharge strong enough to create plasma along its path would be another matter, but that wouldn't be a plasma weapon.Syzygy23 said:
OT: The lasers are not all that exciting in my opinion, we've had weaponizable EM radiation beams for decades now, its always been a matter of powering them. They diffuse rapidly enough in air that they suck up huge quantities of juice to get any kind of impact. Any poor soldier they tried to issue a portable laser weapon to would probably have to lug around fifty kilos in battery equipment. Even the weapon in the OP is a short range disabler, next to useless in most combat situations.
The Gauss cannons slated to replace the 5 inch guns on our battleships on the other hand are freaking awesome. They magnetically propel an 18 Kg projectile to mach 7 for a max range of about 220 nautical miles, as opposed to the 5 incher's range of 13. The slug actually exits the atmosphere on route to distant targets.
That's. So. BOSS! And then the ship flips, but that's just for show. And to be fair, lasers just don't have any applications currently in combat that ballistic weapons don't beat them out in. Aside from the occasional ICBM countermeasure. Kind of.Heronblade said:
Lasers are cool and all, but I'm holding out until they make rail guns viable.
Firing projectiles at mach 10? Sign me up.
Firing projectiles at mach 10? Sign me up.
Dang, you ninja'd my contribution.Shinsei-J said:
This is a cool thread, I say we pour some research money into Particle Projection Cannons (PPC ala Battletech/Mechwarrior)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_beam_weapon
I shall defeat your energy weapons with my mirrors and emps and rainy weather, but you shall all fear my GIANT MOUSE TRAPS!
Unless you are armed with large broom handles...
Unless you are armed with large broom handles...
People survive being it by lightning. If you put the same energy that goes into a lightning bolt into, say, a 200kg solid metal ball, that ball could go through every aircraft carrier the US Navy has. Yeah, I'm going with a multi-gigawatt railgun here.Syzygy23 said:
Well we have to get funding for the Departmento Munitorum first.Tiger Sora said:So when do I get my standard issue flashlight?
Cause I really want one. Naow.
Lasers are awesome but personally when will we have Liquid Nitrogen Grenade Launchers and guns with chainsaws built in?
