BGForums

tests..

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Boeing_ ... s_999.html

Makes me miss Feltan

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=703

You know, if this reaches the battlefield, it is going to make current armor systems obsolete. Although I guess they could just wrap the current stuff in mirror foil.

-Light

Wouldnt work, unless the intent was to "lock in the juices as the 'stuff' cooks"

I read a really easy to follow and informative article on this very topic a while back.It explained how there was no such thing currently as a 100% reflective surface, and due to that and the raw power of the lasers,all such a surface would do was delay the destruction at best mere seconds.

Yeah, I have been into hardcore science fiction since I was in grade school, so I know that reflective defenses against weapon grade lasers are pretty useless. I was humorously invoking the mental image of a tank covered in aluminum foil. Actually, the best concept I ever heard about was ablat that vaporizes into a voluminous cloud of highly diffusive gaseous material. Still not perfect, but better than a chrome colored tank.

-Light

What about some kind of material that refracts the laser away from its target?

In order to refract,or reflect,the laser has to make contact .

No surface openly known to man at this time is perfect enough to resist the power of the current lasers enough to prevent a burn thru.All they can do at this point is very slightly increase the time required for the burn thru.

The only viable defense at this time, would be to dream up a way to prevent the laser from making contact with the surface of the target."Heavy " smoke has been tried, but again, so far has done nothing more than very slightly delay the beam.

Just a thought. Didn't think it would work with lasers - too focussed and powerful.

Its a shame Maurice Ward's starlite basically just dissappeared.By all appearances that stuff was very impressive and just might have been a possible defense.

Lightbringer wrote:Yeah, I have been into hardcore science fiction since I was in grade school, so I know that reflective defenses against weapon grade lasers are pretty useless. I was humorously invoking the mental image of a tank covered in aluminum foil. Actually, the best concept I ever heard about was ablat that vaporizes into a voluminous cloud of highly diffusive gaseous material. Still not perfect, but better than a chrome colored tank.

-Light

Ceramic armor would be more widespread in an age of LAZORS. The stuff is used in Space Shuttle coverings...

Better yet, let us expect some guy to invent a real feasible plasma gun. tens of thousands of degrees of slag would render ANY armor obsolete...

Ok ppl can somebody maybe explain to me how exactly a laser works? lol I dont believe we have lasers already... or rather I cant believe im getting this old...

IIRC lasers can be used to overheat and disrupt the guidance system of missiles, I doubt we have feasible ways to build lasers that obliterate entire bodies of ordinance Star Wars style.

lol I dont believe we have lasers already

Er, laser is used to cut and sharpen stuff in industry?!

Primarily ,a beam will heat an area about the diameter of a basketball on the missile's relatively fragile casing. The casing is already under high pressure from the forces imposed on it from its very flight.
This causes the missile to break up and even explode,depending on the location of the heated area on the missile.

Its also said that a small electromagnetic pulse effect can be generated by some lasers when they strike the target ,which can screw over the missiles electronics.And of course microwave based lasers screw with the electronics automatically.

I was going to throw this tid bit in with the tank post but here is probly butter. I dont remember what book I was listening too. Probly enders game or rust bucket. But it had a funny line in there. They where talking about the current warfare practaces where ships (space ships) would fire at each other from light years appart such was the current method of warfare. But basicaly they where talking about how combat evolved from close range projectile combat, to medium range projectile, to long range laser, to extreme range laser. And new defenses where being developed that would protect against even this form of warfare, And how they would end up going full circle to evenualy having to go back and board each others ships and procede with hand to hand combat.

tkobo wrote:Primarily ,a beam will heat an area about the diameter of a basketball on the missile's relatively fragile casing. The casing is already under high pressure from the forces imposed on it from its very flight.
This causes the missile to break up and even explode,depending on the location of the heated area on the missile...

I'd give the average soldier about two minutes before they would try and figure out how to light a cigarette with one of these things.

Regards,
Feltan