is our gov't scientists trying to develop laser guns for our troops?

Question

i know it takes a boatload of dough, but in the long run don't you think we'll save on bullets? once the initial cost of supplying every soldier with one is done, won't it be cheaper just to charge the battery than to spend our taxes on bullets? we already have lasers that can do direct damage. and isn't it the stereotype of america and/or the world to turn whatever new technology available into a weapon? i'm wondering if some are already in the hands of marines. Perfect accuracy, no wind/distance calculations nessessary, no aiming slightly ahead of a moving target, extremely long range, can be installed on aircraft and carriers. If we don't already have them, it shouldn't be long until we do. and if we can just get over the cost hurdle, we'll be golden

Answer 1

Ok a few points for you.

Yes class IV lasers can cause damage - but to have a laser that is strong enough to pop holes into people without them being kind enough to sit still while you gradually burn a hole in the, - means this is no longer a "back-pack" job. It needs a whacking great power supply, very carefully aligned precision optics and if the enemy has access to a mirror or corner cube - then you might end up blinding dozens of your own troops by mistake instead.

Lasers HAVE already been deployed - but only bright enough to blind - the idea being if you kill one of the enemy you take out one man - if you blind him though you take out two - the one you blinded PLUS a mate to help drag him along - either way a blinded enemy is not much threat to you. This however was ruled as being a bad move by the Geneva convention - which is perhaps a good thing - as lasers of this power are NOT that expensive for ALL sides to make.

Lastly, the moment that someone finds a way to make these with advanced enough batteries and rugged enough optics, the momen the first unit is lost to the enemy, the lasers will be on BOTH sides. Great for optics companies, not so good for the troops.

Plus, if you make sure troops always have plenty of mirrors and (better still) corner cube reflectors, then the hazard bceomes as much for the side WITH the laser(s) as the side without.

It also means that there will be VERY rapid advancement of guided mini-missiles that follow the line of the lasers.

Oddly enough, the range is not QUITE as good as you might imagine, even with very tight beams, divergence fairly quickly starts to come into effect. By the time your beam has gone from 0.1mm diamater to 0.5 mm diameter it has ROUGHLY 1/20th of the burning power it did - a pretty light show and hazardous to the eye but it would not doo much else.

Mark

Answer 2

Yes. We already have laser weapons in the form of cannons. These are used as part of our missile defense systems, anti-satellite weaponry, and UFO defense systems. Foreign nations (Russia and China) also use lasers to blind pilots, particularly those in spy planes, although this has been denied by everyone involved. Handheld weapons will not be seen in the near future. Weight and power supplies have been difficult to rectify with current technology. Cost-effectiveness and the reverse engineering of captured weapons are also issues. However, we do have a laser-guided rifle in development. In the future, who knows? It is good to train soliders in the use of common projectile weapons, because they are cheap and effective, as well as used throughout the world. Lose your issue weapon? Steal one from the enemy, and you already know how to use it.

Answer 3

Maybe, but don't you think that they would be working on something to bring the dead back to life like in the "living dead" movies. Why spend money on guns and bullets when you can send tons of living dead soldiers over to fight the war, just need to invent a helmet that is bullet proof and something to protect the necks so the heads don't get cut off.

Answer 4

Soldiers want something they can use without having to recharge or change batteries. Having to reload with cartridge ammo is enough trouble :)

Answer 5

Lasers... right. I think this should be in the science section.