One of the biggest uses for laser weapons is in defence
systems - similar to
the Phalanx, or the RAM
point-defence
missile, or the C-RAM
system (which is
basically a Phalanx sitting on a trailer,
using ammunition that self-destructs
before it hits the
ground).
As advanced as some of these systems are,
getting a
bullet or missile to hit another incoming missile or
artillery shell
or mortar round is exceedingly difficult.
Lasers have the advantage of
negligible time-of-flight, so
are much easier to 'hit' the target with.
Getting enough
energy into the target to 'kill' it, though is a bit more
difficult, though I believe it's been successfully tested
against mortar
rounds at least.
And mirrors aren't as much of a defence against lasers
as
you'd think - a mirror has to be perfectly clean and
perfectly reflecting,
or it'll absorb some energy, heat up
and lose it's reflective properties, at
which point it's no
help at all. Far better to use ablative coatings, that
vaporise into a plasma that effectively absorbs the laser
energy before it can
strike the target. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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