Laser Weapons

The concept of using light as a weapon has intrigued weapon designers, for centuries. The first such system hypothesized was the Archimedes heat ray. Maiman operated the first functioning laser at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
HISTORY
In civilian applications, lasers would soon grow in power. With the ability to focus kilowatts of energy onto a small point, their use in industrial welding and cutting expanded rapidly. Though their initial military use, however, has been more indirect, being used primarily for range finding, targeting, and ordnance guidance. The first use of lasers to damage targets directly were laser blinding weapons.
Because relatively low energy levels could permanently blind combatants, their use led to the Protocol on Laser Blinding Weapons in 1995. Lower powered systems intended to temporarily blind or disorient its target, called dazzlers, are still in use today by both the military and law enforcement. Laser systems that directly use highly focused light as a ranged weapon to damage a target are part of a class of arms known as Directed Energy Weapons or DEWs.
TACTICAL LASERS
One of Boeing’s technology demonstrator consists of a modified "Avenger" air defense vehicle with a laser DEW in place of its missile launcher. As a laser source, this system uses a commercial 2 kW solid-state laser and has demonstrated its effectiveness against unmanned aerial vehicles as well as explosive devices on the ground. "Another, more powerful, tactical development by Boeing is "The Relocatable High Energy Laser System or RHELS. Raytheon has replaced the cannon with an industrial fiber laser, successfully testing the concept against a variety of targets, including incoming mortar rounds.
This heat has to be transported out of the solid-state medium, in order to avoid overheating and destroying the laser. Additionally, the non-uniform temperature distribution within the amplifier causes a higher than ideal beam divergence of the resulting laser beam, reducing the delivery energy per target area. Fiber lasers, in particular, are ideal for weapon use due to the ends of the fiber itself being used to form the laser resonator. One notable example has been Northrop Grumman’s Joint High Power Solid-State Laser program, which has produced beams in the range of 100kWs.
STRATEGIC LASERS
Power levels at this magnitude are predominately achieved by chemical lasers, a focal technology of all strategic military laser programs. Chemical lasers work by using a chemical reaction to create the beam. The involved reactants are fed continuously into the reaction chamber, forming a gas stream, which functions as the light amplifying medium for the laser. Because the gas stream is continuously being produced while spent reactants are vented out of the laser, excess heat does not accumulate and the output power is not limited by the need for cooling.
The Advanced Tactical Laser or ATL and the Airborne Laser or ABL have been the two most notable chemical laser DEW programs in recent years. What makes both of these programs so unique is that they are the first aircraft-based laser DEWs. The ATL is a technology demonstrator built to evaluate the capabilities of a laser DEW for "ultra-precise" attacks against communication platforms and vehicles. Powered by a Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser or COIL, it’s speculated that it’s beam is capable of up to 300 kW.
Of all the laser DEW programs explored, the ABL system is arguably the most prominent and recognizable. Built around a Boeing 747 designated as YAL-1, ABL is also powered by a Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser, though one large enough to produce a continuous output power well into the megawatt range. In addition to the incredible power of its main laser, the ABL also features an adaptive optics system, which is capable of correcting the degrading influence of atmospheric turbulence on the laser beam. On March 15, 2007, the YAL-1 successfully fired it’s laser in flight, hitting its target, a modified NC-135E Big Crow test aircraft.
By February 11, 2010, now fitted with a more powerful laser, in a test off the central California coast, the system successfully destroyed a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile.
Laser defense systems such as the US Navy’s XN1-LaWs, deployed on the USS Ponce and the Israeli Iron Beam air defense system are being used experimentally for low-end asymmetric threats. Though these systems are modest compared to the promises of the multi-billion dollar programs of years past, costing less than one dollar per shot, the versatility of these smaller, less expensive, laser DEWs may prove to be the future of the technology.
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[@NewMind]

To learn how lasers actually work and how they've changed our world, check out this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXXVc5SuZ9Kar6c

[@walangchahangyelingden8252]

I for one don't think the future will use lasers as weapons, I do see electromagnetic coil guns(Gauss Guns) and Rail guns to be used as high-velocity artillery and high rpm machine guns. Could you make a video about them?

[@666hobart]

I guess you've been sleeping on Lockheed... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH7bYmCvlrd_r7M Yeah, you most definitely have. Completely...

[@andreah6175]

See my directed energy vs weighted blanket video, read description why.

[@andreah6175]

Somebody has been using weapons on me for no less than 3 yrs I got nobody to help. See my directed energy vs weighted blanket video. What do I do!

[@JohnDoe-zu2cm]

@@andreah6175 And i speak to demons.

[@andersjjensen]

Top notch content! It is really strange to live in a time where a lone KZbinr produces better documentaries than big well funded cable networks....

[@amyasseektruth8246]

well said... and all that with limited info that is shared with us mere mortals

[@Delgen1951]

Why you can't beat the American Swamp Pickers of Hidden Monsters and Ghost channel can you?

[@user-nf4hd8bq2y]

I trust lone KZbinrs more than corporate news.

[@RealPackCat]

and not a stitch of political banter.

[@kristjanmartin9883]

@A J Jensen. The answer lies in the fact he has no lawyers to bog it down, or special interests. Hmmm there's a joke about our government in there somewhere, I'm just too taxed. D.M.

[@FreddyFunderbunz]

Val Kilmer shot a laser from a plane and made popcorn all the way back in 1985. It's documented on film...

[@lhtyeehaw1319]

This aught to be my favorite joke

[@fluffypinkpandas]

haaaaaa

[@ndkline2505]

Well played

[@NoNameAtAll2]

what film?

[@FreddyFunderbunz]

@@NoNameAtAll2 "Rad" starring cru Jones,Bart Taylor, and aunt Becky

[@TheSeanUhTron]

We need sharks with frickin' lasers attached to their heads.

[@rotaryenginepete]

keep watching @ 14:53

[@politicallyinaccuratetoast4757]

This is such a common idea that it's not even insane now

[@ThomasTee]

You need to think bigger: Kraken with lasers on each tentacle!

[@2k7u]

I understood the harry callaghan meet the cores reference

[@kunoichi301]

you mean dolphins, sharks are soo dumb they will eat those lasers off each other thinking the shine from the lasers are shiny tasty fish lol

[@LeRoux027]

Places a direct energy weapon in the rockys. "He he. Mountain DEW."

[@JanBabiuchHall]

Good LADS

[@icediverfull]

Mountain PEW

[@VariantAEC]

Just wondering where that name came from. They clearly named the drink that kept them up at night while working on that project obviously.

[@Blazingfireball977]

😂🤦‍♂️

[@Delgen1951]

@@Blazingfireball977 Mountain Dew is tiny bit older than that, and the soft drink is form the 1970s.

[@Ikkarson]

Great video! a few minor mistakes though: -Thermal blooming has nothing to do with plasma formation, but with the absorbed energy that heats the air and expands it. Continuous lasers are, as of now, not really able to reach air ionization in practical DEW setups, contrary to pulsed lasers. -"inefficiency of the commercial process": the inefficiencies have little to do with the commercial aspect... every laser manufacturer seeks to minimize thermal losses. "governmental" high power lasers also show significant, if not superior, such thermal inefficiencies and need cooling (for those with publicly available info at least). -you forgot some very important areas of research, both military and commercial: active laser arrays (aka beam steering, or coherent superposition) and rainbow lasers (wavelength superposition) up to continuous spectrum laser (aka "white" lasers).

[@MattH-wg7ou]

Woah those last few things you mentioned sound very interesting. So beam steering...basically a laser that works the way an AESA radar works (on the transmit side obviously)?

[@FreddyFunderbunz]

Probably.

[@willpitts9957]

Burger Punk ok

[@Ikkarson]

Matt H that’s exactly it. The shorter wavelength makes the phase locking & shifting so much more difficult though!

[@fluffypinkpandas]

pulse lasers are big sex

[@ArpadFarkas]

Arguably, a CD player can also be a laser weapon if loaded with the appropriate disc.

[@RCP-1136]

So, i take it you got my mixtape?

[@brenttesterman1198]

Yeah, Nickelback.

[@g.k.1669]

Brent Testerman- The Geneva convention outlawed that action as too cruel.

[@curiousme113]

@@brenttesterman1198 too funny

[@ChrisK-bs5om]

I worked on the Laser Avenger Program at Boeing and the RHELS system as well, we had a saying about these systems: Lasers are weapons of the future, and always will be.

[@haikalshakeel7647]

Lasers? Styropyro: Yes

[@TheExoplanetsChannel]

Hehe

[@dumdiversaspapalbull1452]

When they say that the program was scrapped, it probably means that it has entered a production stage.

[@BillEFabian]

Had a buddy who worked at Hughes Research in Malibu. They were firing lasers at hard targets from a C130. This was 20 years ago.

[@Gabriel-gw8hf]

the possibility of so much tech we dont know about yet.

[@mattbanks3517]

@@Gabriel-gw8hf lasers are not that hard or scary, think about x ray weapons, only gold and lead can reflect them.

[@illegalpic6814]

@@mattbanks3517 They can burn up your inside tho, have fun with that

[@mattbanks3517]

@@illegalpic6814 i meant it was easy to stop them. What can happen when a laser collides with an electron gun?

[@quentincastellanos3296]

less than a dollar per shot? Sounds like a viable hunting round, where do I pick up my new laser hunting rifle?

[@mydogsfacelookslikeastockp8275]

Just watch out for people saying it's unethical because laser sounds more dangerous than bullet.

[@raccoonwilliam4555]

Yes, but your rifle maintenance would be rise to hundreds thousands dollars due to its sensitive optic and its cooling system. Even a practically working rifle laser beam is still impossible as the smallest they can make is at size of a Jeep, one that smaller than that will only create small damage due to the target's movement.

[@thejester1216]

The problem with any form of laser weaponry is that light doesn't convert to heat very well. You much more likely to blind yourself and anything that sees where the laser hits than actually doing considerable damage to your target.

[@Baigle1]

Since it cauterizes flesh as it burns through (leaving a wound rather than loss of consciousness due to blood loss), it takes longer to burn through, and leaves a smaller hole, it is not to be considered an ethical kill. Think of it this way: if you were a Buck, or a Chad Elk, which would you choose to experience?

[@dr.strangelove9815]

Give it a decade or two, by then, maybe, handheld laser weapons may be around, or even something more, like a blaster plasma rifle in three decades. Power supply, magnetic containment of plasma, and blooming are the biggest hurdles, but I think it'll be overcome. If we get something like the Safire project or LENR as safe, small, cheap nuclear power supplies, power lasers will develop quickly, plus, a better understanding of plasma physics. A power laser hit would somewhat blast impact, vaporize flesh and boil tissue, far more deadly than a bullet; the amount of energy transferred to a target would be massive. You'd have cooked venison on delivery.

[@fuzzylogic5507]

I have recently read a book named " Armas Nucleares (Nuclear Weapons. It is worth to note that the book is in Spanish and data from the 80´s, that is in the Ronald Reagan era) ". One of its chapters is dedicated to Lasers Weapons by the Professor Kosta Tsipis from the MIT (Laser weapons, Kosta Tsipis, february 1982, pages 154 to 162). At that time one of the Pentagon´s main investigation project was the feasibility to put into orbit a number of satellites armed with laser weapons in order to destroy the Soviets ICBMs. I am surprised that the conclusion the professor gave in the book about those weapons (a laser weapon that could operate in the atmosfere ) is the same that exposed in the video, after more than a 30 years ago: " 1- they can be blocked by bad weather 2- Can not operate eficiently beyond a few kilometers 3- Can be easily neutralized by countermeasures than a proyectile or a missile and requires a better guidance system

[@hullinstruments]

As a certified nerd and laser enthusiast with a full electronics and optical lab built in the corner of my humble machine shop… I’ve been praying for this video since I first began watching your channel. Your “science of flatness“ video is when I really started hoping you would make a video regarding lasers and optics. Laser weapons aren’t necessarily my area of interest, however I’m so happy you finally made a video on lasers! I enjoy your videos and I’m more “in tune” with your research and interests than any other science channel on KZbin. Thank you so much for this video!

[@happyman6102]

Outstanding! Love your channel and content! Thank you so so much for putting material like this together

[@revcrussell]

I am so glad you added the Austin Powers reference because all I could think of through the video was Dr. Evil talking about his giant "LASER" on the moon.

[@felixcat9318]

This was an interesting, informative and entertaining way to become more informed on this very specialised topic. Thank you.

[@kashmirha]

Excellent content again. Your channel has a superb quality, I binge watch your videos for days now. :) Really excellent, very high quality! Thank you very much!!!

[@alexlandherr]

Could you please cite your sources in the video description? It would make the verification process of the informations validity far more convenient.

[@stevenkelby2169]

Yes please.

[@sooocheesy]

Here ya go: Sources: Google.com

[@alanowa123]

@@sooocheesy thats not how it works

[@mikesmith1290]

Why do you need to verify?you know you can't lie on the internet, according to the internet.

[@Gabriel-yd4bq]

@@mikesmith1290 and that's true.

[@harrytsang1501]

This is the first time I have seen no views on a video on some better known channels. Well I am seeing it just 15 seconds after it got published.

[@AjinkyaMahajan]

Thanks for enlightening my knowledge with the wonderful content again. Please make a video on Photonic Propulsion too!! Cheers ✨✌

[@dalebarnett826]

I really enjoy your videos. Thank you for producing them.

[@thefuture6570]

This is brilliant, I dreamt every single days how to create something like this, but now I see it here, amazing 😉.

[@SopanKotbagi]

Thanks for speaking at a pace I can keep up with.

[@Alexa-hh8so]

Very good video u just popped up in my recommended hope to watch more content in the future!

[@liggerstuxin1]

It’s crazy to me how few subscribers you have. Keep doing what you are doing and you will break a million in two years.The quality is here.

[@methanesulfonic]

less than 2 years*

[@panagiotisgeorgakis1449]

He didn't...

[@DrFoo11]

Very cool video. I came here looking for information on the 747 YAL-1, and was not disappointed! New subscriber 👍

[@amramjose]

I had the opportunity to work as an engineer on the Hughes Aircraft Airborne Laser Lab, in the early 80s. It was a concept demonstrator which barely worked, and then in very controlled conditions. Still, it was a very exciting time in electronics and engineering in general. The ABL proved impractical in the end, and prohibitively expensive to maintain on station.

[@bangyahead1]

I wish more people were smart enough to be interested in these fascinating and highly education videos you make.

[@PrizeJ]

We are closer to Star Wars, Stargate, Farscape and other laser type weapons than ever before. I love it.

[@Scrogan]

I was wondering if they’d use adaptive optics, it’s neat to see an astronomy technique being applied to this field. Though personally I’d like to see a more mathematical analysis on the limitations of laser weapons technologies, such as beam finesse, coherence, and Gaussian optics.

[@Ikkarson]

James Barclay adaptive (and/or active) optics are a critical component of every laser DEW developped so far. Who knew that trying to get a better look at the stars could be turned into a weapon! The major difference is that in astronomy, one goes roughly vertically (this reaching « calmer » layers quickly) whereas in DEWs the slant is more horizontal, thus compounding more turbulence. Both exhibit different turbulence spectra but the hardware is the same.

[@mikemorton7149]

U said it bro focus the beam

[@twistedyogert]

@@Ikkarson We humans are very good at figuring out how to destroy stuff with anything.

[@Sammasambuddha]

​@twistedyogert If I can't use weapons I'll use words.

[@oohboi2750]

Incredible work. More on weapons please.

[@MrRokker]

Awesome content as usual! Keep it up :)

[@jbyrd1309]

had to watch again so cool. thanks bro, Cheers!

[@Lord_Shadowz]

They are testing a DEW on the Virginia class submarine. It can shoot at targets like helicopters and aircraft from just under the water because of the amount of power the nuclear reactor can produce. The US military seems to have solved a lot of issues.

[@clarkgregb]

Keep them coming!

[@paulhogan2389]

I was thinking some kind of swarm reflection system where the beams are delivered from a safe or concealed location to transfer drones for the transferring the energy to targeting drones. He's targeting drones would find locations with the ability to attack targets from multiple locations coordinating the highest percentage of success with each and every shot. Certainly giving the Navy the opportunity to attack a target from above behind below etc.

[@penroc3]

what you were talking about is using a maser as a tunnel for the laser to travel down helps attenuate weather effects

[@MattH-wg7ou]

6:51 using lasers for EOD seems like it could be an appropriate and feasible option.

[@Baigle1]

Number of operators used it to burn off people's heads already, from the looks of some of these leaked items. Cool tech, but its akin to giving law enforcement officers tanks and drones.

[@Andrew-27]

That ending tho.

[@mathiacus]

"Put the controller down! You'll never make a living playing video games."

[@jaakkopontinen]

Lol

[@kagura7107]

S***** WITH FRIKKIN LAZER BEAMS

[@shadowgod1009]

@Logic 46 Did you watch till the very end? There is an audio clip that plays during the last 4-5 seconds of the video.

[@rickbarajas6823]

You forgot to mention how they used this tech in the Santa Rosa , California fires

[@yeswing10]

And a plane

[@heeeeiity]

Dude, this channel will be so big... Happy to be here before it explodes

[@livinglandmine4374]

I could Imagine this type of laser weaponry being used to counter small drones

[@Featinwe]

It's interesting that both you and Curious Droid made a vid about DEWs almost at the same time ;)

[@sanrafaelhoa1363]

Thx for explanation.

[@brianawilk285]

They work pretty good at short ranges against small boats. I seen the navy use one against a dummy on a boat with a gun ( kinda like an Iran type of fast boat attack scenario). Laser weapons in general I think are better as a defensive weapon, point defense.

[@grapy83]

Great vid man.

[@thomask2210]

He did not mention the THEL (tactical high energy laser) laser which was a chemical laser that was used to successfully shoot down mortar rounds included shooting down three 81mm rounds fired in quick succession. And also the Office of Naval Research worked on a free electron laser. Which is not hampered by atmospheric degradation. A 1MW FEL (free electron laser) can burn through 20ft of steel in one second. The FEL is powered by an accelerator so it's main stumbling block right now is miniaturizing it to a feasible size. Though that area has seen some break throughs in the last few years it still needs some work.

[@grovermatic]

Well I saw Val Kilmer lase a stick of dynamite back in the 80s... :-P

[@NewMind]

😂😂 So guess what movie I’ve recently rediscovered that inspired me to make this video.. I woke up one morning with that popcorn scene randomly in my head

[@grovermatic]

@@NewMind _"LEMME HAVE IT!!"_

[@eb32imac]

New Mind I love that scene!

[@Lankku4]

Good stuff man! I've always wondered what we can do with lasers in the current year. I wonder what the most powerful laser in military use wound do to organic tissue. Too bad there are no laser head explosion videos...

[@evergreen8238]

Oliver because lasers aren’t that practical at all,it’s all myth and stories.

[@Lankku4]

@@evergreen8238 I know its not feasible. But still, wouldn't you want to see a laser head explosion?

[@johnuferbach9166]

@@Lankku4 no... but you really don't need a military laser to hurt yourself, just get one of those indian laser pointers and shine in your eye... or use a lower powered carbon laser and vaporize some part of your hand or whatever

[@syntiy5737]

Subbed good content KEEP IT UP AND GOING

[@Desire123ification]

I totally agree with the statement at the end. A long range engagement won't be as effective...

[@Noughtta]

Chemical Lasers are so damn cool.

[@Jet-Pack]

what a pun

[@Delgen1951]

And SOOVERy Big. that is the problem, that 747 based Laser only had the chemicals for six (6) shots, that cant fire more that that without reloading the magazine.

[@paulomartins1008]

Thought experiment: To prevent blooming, first shoot a radiaie of purposfully atmospheric blooming beams call it atmospheric priming if you will, then another at center of the bloom with a frequency that is dissonant from the formers. Think of how a dissonant note can always be distinguished within a standard major chord, the frequencies are always perpendicular in phase and thus travel separately. Maybe that could work.

[@Ikkarson]

an option that has been considered in to use pulsed lasers to create an ionized channel, then use that channel to steer an EMP. Think of it as a "laser-primed" taser... priming the air with a primer beam would just stir the atmosphere and generate even more turbulence, that the active optics would not be able to compensate.

[@KuraIthys]

@@Ikkarson I was curious about that exact thing. An ionised channel of air is by definition an electrical conductor. That means you can use this to create artificial lightning, and direct where it strikes. Whether that's useful or not is another question. But it certainly IS an option...

[@paulomartins1008]

@@Ikkarson sure but what about the latter half can you rebuke. I will clarify it, when creating an ionized channel using a certain amount of energy, the turbulent energy within the bloom I conjecture would evaluate to some discrete array of harmonics of the original emission when interacting with the excited atmosphere - think C3, C4, C5 on a music scale - which I imagine could be figured out by some sort Fourier analysis. If so the weaponized beam, emp, etc, could be made to match a frequency that is always dissonant, ergo, its phase would match the bloom nowhere, therefore interacting with in minimaly.

[@SuperReznative]

@@KuraIthys 👍🙏🇨🇦 it's been implemented, as weather weaponry and earthquake triggers for over a decade. Also research HAARP, or some of Dr. Judy Woods, know Jesus God bless

[@kennyg1358]

Very thoughtful of humanity to do all this ground work for Skynet.

[@SuperReznative]

diabolical towards own demise, people wake up,, it's almost too late. Only Jesus can Davey us now, love, respect God

[@KuraIthys]

I wonder if anyone has attempted work on a lightning gun. (don't ask me what the formal name would be) Basically, if a laser can ionise the air, then it follows that you can send an electrical discharge through the ionisation path, which in turn, would create a controlled artificial lightning bolt. In all probability this is highly impractical, but it still makes me curious if anyone's tried it. If nothing else, it likely has different functional considerations to a pure laser weapon...

[@Starscream35310]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJSYf5yoo91paq8

[@Delgen1951]

Lighting hits aircraft all the time, and run over the metal skin and discharges off the other wing tip rearliy causing damage to the plane.

[@alexanerose4820]

Everything's highly impractical until there's a lucky breakthrough, a businessman who can make is cheaper, and a sprinkle of luck

[@Ardkun00]

As Delgen pointed out. Lightning bolts rarely danage airplanes, this is due to the high conductivity of metallic objects. If you were inside a car and happened to get struck by lightning you will be safe due to the car metallic surface redirecting the current to the ground. This is called a Faraday Cage.

[@jamesharding3459]

I read a book once, as a small child, where such a weapon was a major plot device. I don’t recall the specific technobabble, but it was more or less just a massive Tesla coil that could direct the discharge. If memory serves, the Steampunk Nazis (TM) were using it to blow up Steampunk British (TM) hydrogen-filled airships.

[@seasong7655]

Just 2018 Donna Strickland got her nobel price for the chirped pulse laser amplification. So maybe that's something they'll use in those systems soon.

[@abdullahk0405]

Well afaik Turkey used a laser weapon to shot down a UAV in libya owned by warlord haftar. I guess UAV given to them by UAE and it was wing loong 2

[@desrumeauxjeansebastien7336]

5:35 electromagnetic waves are less subject to be influenced by the nature of media propagation. I think it depends on the background nature and level of energy contained in media propagation. The level of energy characteristics such as amplitude and periodicity, wave length may also have their own influence... I have no particular experience in these topics, I just try to deduce it. 😉

[@coolpup2112]

Excellent Content

[@RedcoatsReturn]

Excellent documentary! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😊👍👍

[@dxi8]

Sharks with Frickin' Laser Beams attached to their heads

[@merlepatterson]

"It's a Phased Conjugate Tracking System" - Real Genius

[@yeahitskimmel]

I always forget and it blows ppls mind when they have a lil one in their pocket, the laser is younger than a lot of our parents

[@curtiswheeler2212]

could you imagine some kind of light capacitor to charge it right up before releasing this powered-up energy along the original Lazor path?

[@NNOTM]

Any plans on covering rail guns or hypersonic missiles?

[@MattH-wg7ou]

Ooh that hypersonic missile can o worms...yes please.

[@RealPackCat]

rail guns seem more promising at this time. Once they put Lasers on Satellites, it's lights out for Chyna.

[@Baigle1]

@@RealPackCat There are worse things than lasers and nukes (knock on wood). Its important not to get ahead of ourselves, as there are no viable defenses to many threats... Well, until we design our structures and systems of systems like we actually use our brains. This tech is great for defense. We don't want to go poking the bear in a locked room.

[@gaborbravo1]

A few micron thick highly reflective coating on the potential targets might render DEWs useless.

[@JarrettWilliams99]

Works great for defeating missile launches when you happen to be within 1 mile of the launch site, according to the artist depictions

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

0:11 in the game age of empires ( the original version) there were these defence towers called mirro towers that likely were using this theory as a basis for their game inclusion.

[@FMHikari]

I'm currently trying to make one of my own, though it's nowhere near the military ones yet.

[@hgbugalou]

Lasers seem like ideal weapons versus drones, particularly drone swarms.

[@InfiniteUniverse88]

Lasers have greater destructive power if the beam isn't continuous. Donna Strickland talks about this in a 1 hour video from the Imperial College of London and her 30min Nobel Prize acceptance speech. She won Nobel Prize in 2018 for creating the chirped-pulse laser. In one video, she talks about to further improve the technology she developed in the 1980's, harmonic resonance is needed. Today, there are lasers which can be focused to attosecond time-scales. There are one hour videos on KZbin from University professors on this subject. Attosecond laser-pulses make kinetic weapons obsolete.

[@The_Andy_H]

I wonder how many billions are put in naming those systems. Those abbriviations.. Its just too perfect!

[@hypercomms2001]

Basically the ABL program did not achieve its stated goals, and went nowhere... that is the airframe sits in the boneyard rather being deployed demonstrates this...

[@Delgen1951]

that and the fact it only had six (6) shots.

[@j1952d]

This shook me a bit. It's taken all these years for me to realise that when I was working on my final-year degree project in '74 - stabilising a sealed CO2 laser - the technology was so young. To date things, a quick check to verify that it was "lasing" properly in my little dungeon lab was whether or not it would light my cigarette.

[@RandomGamer-qy6ys]

Lasers could eliminate having to cut and close during operations in surgeries, far more precise and would only leave a scar instead of several hundred stitches.

[@smartdroidpraveen5275]

awesome vedio how do you do your voice over speech

[@muhammadomer5301]

Can u make a video on space based solar concentration mirror weapon system ?

[@robertankersmit767]

The problem is easily broken down into manageable pieces. First off you need multiple lasers to intercept the target, this way if there is atmospheric noise one of the lasers will take out the target or the multiple lasers will all be weakened and there will be a relatively strong beam that knocks out the target instead.

[@PheneticsCo]

I love this channel.

[@brunos6599]

Can it be used for spacial propulsion?

[@Unforseenak]

Oh cool I will keep that in mind when the drone swarm needs to be weaponized.

[@morkovija]

ahh, our dose of high quality, more pure than colombian coco, educational content

[@captainTubes]

The ultimate culmination of advanced laser technology saved for last 14:52 !

[@markm.9458]

Nice to know it only works in perfect weather. Don't let the enemy know that.

[@RickeyBowers]

I wouldn't be surprised if a similar episode regarding rail gun weapons appeared.

[@stevemickler452]

I have wondered for a long time whether a laser powered passive beam riding munition might be superior. A laser would be directed onto a gun fired round and vaporize plastic on its aft end to provide rocket thrust .Laser rockets have been able to exceed 5000 sec. Isp and so can propel the round to well over 100,000 mph .The round would be steered by its geometry causing thrust to be produced in such a way that if it drifts out of the beam the off axis thrust pushes it back into the beam. Kinetic kill would be instantaneous but of course tracking and steering are necessary and depending on distance it would have transit time unlike the laser but since the laser needs dwell time to kill most targets it might come out ahead.

[@davidmyersretiredaerospace8038]

Out there already.

[@ArtOfficialKreations]

Has there been any attempt to test/develop directed energy weapons for use in the vacuum of space or near vacuum of low earth orbit? (Intuition tells me that the 'blooming issue would be nil, and the energy output cap would be greatly increased)

[@PrezVeto]

Such weapons would likely violate the Outer Space Treaty.

[@Equelan2]

Since those lasers capable of ionizing atmosphere along it's path, is it possible to struck targets with high voltage sparks with using ionic air path provided by laser beam?

[@thetezz0001]

A very well made video

[@abudabidibibudi]

big respect from Montenegro MNE

[@masterofpc11]

you guys have such a beautiful country! just wanted to put this out there

[@abudabidibibudi]

@@masterofpc11 where are you from?? hahaha thank you smoll contry but yepp beautiful you are welcome !

[@floridanews8786]

Probably should turn the volume down a little more, on max volume I could almost make out what you were saying.

[@tmaKlopp]

Plz do a video on space based kinetic weapons

[@itskarl79]

6:16 - makes me question star link...

[@Yezpahr]

14:53 best quote ever

[@WarpedPerception]

OMG ♥️ lasers are one of my favorites

[@tylerpedigo2938]

One of your favorite what? Lol

[@IndraKurniawan-vk2qb]

Love your channel

[@weanon3421]

Wow! I knew about this since the 1890's hehe

[@NiMareQ]

Please, what is the song playing at the end? (14:32)

[@billrock6734]

It's not commonly known but the first death ray was actually built by the Japanese in WW2 it could kill a rabbit at 1000 yards but only if it remained still for five minutes.

[@soaringvulture]

So that would be a rabbit that was already dead.