Pentagon Report: No More 'Death Rays'

[flashl]

Source: Wired - Defense News

The Defense Science Board, an influential advisory panel, has a new report (PDF) on directed energy weapons that finally injects some realism into the laser debate. Instead of inflated, sci-fi-esque claims and giant laser projects, the Board wants to see a more measured tone -- and smaller, more practical applications for military energy weapons. "The Department needs a concerted education effort to replace the 'death ray' myth of directed weapons with a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of their applications."

This is realism, not pessimism, and the Defense Science Board has it right. They're not saying that a "death ray" is impossible, or that it will never happen, but that wildly unrealistic expectations for death rays may well have actually set back laser work in the Pentagon.

For those who closely follow the Pentagon's myriad laser efforts, much of what the panel says will come as little surprise. Chemical lasers, such as the one on the Airborne Laser, are still the only megawatt class beams around, which could be used to take out ballistic missiles. But there are serious drawbacks to the weapon, and enthusiasm in the Pentagon has declines for it. Solid-state lasers, which are being developed for use on Humvees and ground vehicles, and fiber lasers offer a promising alternative, but at lower power levels. Microwave weapons, in the meantime, have some interesting niche capabilities, such as disabling cars and electronics.

On the wonkier level, the report discusses the need for coordination of the various laser efforts, developing a coherent strategy for where and when lasers will be deployed, and protecting the diminishing U.S. industrial base for lasers.

Wired - Defense

Read more: http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/pentagon-report.html

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Yes, let's continue to pour $$$ into the abyss to protect our failing infrastructure and disappearing industrial base.

[Bob3]

1. "Death Ray Fiddlesticks! It's hardly even slowing them down"

Old Charles Addams Cartoon - Patent attorney yelling at the inventor after he's been firing the weapon out the window.

[flashl]

5. Love it! n/t

[WillParkinson]

2. But we NEED Death Rays!

Without them there will never be another movie like



Real Genius with Val Kilmer

[FreepFryer]

4. Man it is gonna be ironic to see protestors wearing ACTUAL tin foil hats for protection! (n/t)

[Sabriel]

3. They're just objecting to the term, that's all.

"We're still hard at work on death rays, but please don't call them that anymore!"

Maybe they need to put some money into a team to work on a kinder, gentler name.

How about...Blistering Burn Beams? Lethal Lasers? Extreme Lights?

Get some of the guys who translate Chinese firework titles to do it.

"10,000 Frying Devils on Epidermis"

[Javaman]

8. "we are now going to call them the george forman human grill". nt

[dysfunctional press]

9. spontaneous human combustionators...?

:shrug:

[MilesColtrane]

10. They're rebranding it the Life Denial Ray™.

[Fovea]

6. Well, that was only thirty years wasted.

Next time a senile movie actor tries to sell America a new kind weapon, first ask to see a demonstration involving his willy.

[sutz12]

7. Must mean they're going into production if they're cooling the rhetoric.

:tinfoilhat:

[MilesColtrane]

11. OK, we're canning the death ray...

...but, on an up note, we're deploying the Rods From God next week.

So we got that going for us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment