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Science
Ray Guns Real: Army Betting Big on Laser Weapons
2010-01-23
Excerpt: The U.S. Army is betting big on laser warfare -- designing, testing and perfecting ultra-precise weapons based on devastatingly powerful beams of light. And given recent developments, it's only a matter of time until the military has in its arsenal a weapon that until now has been the staple of science fiction -- the ray gun.

Set your phasers to kill.
Posted by:Uncle Phester

#7  Now if you started a rumour that you have a weapon that made Jihadis infertile...
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2010-01-23 21:40  

#6  Well a laser might not be as random as a blaster but they would be invisible (except for the red dot) so in theory they'd make nice assassination weapons assuming you didn't have to hold it on target too long to do the deed.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2010-01-23 21:15  

#5  Personally I think it would be better whilst at war to cut research and let the military on the ground buy more of what they want and less of what the MoD/Pentagon thinks is fun.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2010-01-23 20:54  

#4  Speaking as a lifetime (So far) Science Fiction Devotee, Lasers are impractical close range weapons, a reflective belt buckle would-could fry the attacker, yet not provide safety, both would be burned.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2010-01-23 12:33  

#3  to counter artillery, mortar, drone aircraft and even rockets,
Posted by: phil_b   2010-01-23 09:04  

#2  But as ROE evolve to only being allowed to hit only the actual individual being targeted (and maybe in only a specific anatomical location) the laser will be essential, not redundant.
Posted by: Glenmore   2010-01-23 08:48  

#1  Laser tactics will require that the same target be covered by conventional weaponry, because lasers are inherently susceptible to obscuration. This also means that lasers are redundant.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2010-01-23 06:57  

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