Boeing compact laser weapon destroys drone in 15 seconds

[HEXUS]

Xbox 360 controller steered laser is "on the brink of becoming battlefield ready".

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[outwar6010]

What if the drone was covered in mirrored armour?

[staffsMike]

What if the drone was covered in mirrored armour?

The locals get some interesting hair cuts?

[outwar6010]

The locals get some interesting hair cuts?

Lol laser hair removal for all

[TRUTHnTRINITY]

I want sharks with laser!

[ik9000]

you don't mean...

[killer7xx]

Should try using gaming mouse and keyboard instead of 360 controller, much faster and more accurate aiming

[flearider]

and it's all hype it's a drone a plastic drone .. that's it not as if it can do damage to a real plane .. or even a real drone .. there metal

[Rossy]

thats mad omg!!!!

[Luke7]

and it's all hype it's a drone a plastic drone .. that's it not as if it can do damage to a real plane .. or even a real drone .. there metal

It's just a report on a stage of development on this particular weapon.

[ysluxus]

Have no interest in real weapons and war.

[crossy]

and it's all hype it's a drone a plastic drone .. that's it not as if it can do damage to a real plane .. or even a real drone .. there metal

Tendency these days seem to be to build a lot of the aircraft structure from composites.

Interesting look at early development.

[edzieba]

What if the drone was covered in mirrored armour?

Naff-all.
At the power levels required for laser weaponry, all putting a mirror on the target does is result in a vaporised mirror surface before target destruction. It's basically a single layer of ineffective ablative armour.

Now, multiple spaced layers of ablative refractory material would be a challenge. That would require each layer to be vaporised in turn. The aircraft is in flight, so plasma absorption is not a particular factor as it would be in a stationary target.

[Froggywoggy]

Laser Quest just got interesting.

[whatif]

I can see in that photo someone who could definitely use a new laser haircut
On the topic of being silly - how about one of these on the front of your car. Ok you may still have to drive around them, but a good way to disable all those idiots slow drivers in the fast lane, and nobody knows where it came from.
Or even targeting those flying recreational drones around the neighbourhood (FPS games in real life). Had one parked over our house last weekend for about 5 minutes.

[peterb]

and it's all hype it's a drone a plastic drone .. that's it not as if it can do damage to a real plane .. or even a real drone .. there metal

Not if it gets into the air intake of a gas turbine. Or impacts the windscreen of an aircraft travelling at 400+ knots, or carrying an explosive payload.