OOC: Laser weapons in MT and PMT: A brief FAQ

[Axis Nova]

Thanks, Czardas. I actually wanted that in the first place, but it was made it's own sticky instead vOv

[Hegstoria]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10682693?ls I'd suggest updating this since I remember reading in your OP about the disadvantages of solid state lasers. The CIWS is a solid state which can be effectively used against UAV's, missiles, mortars, rockets, and sink small ships. A video is included in the link showing it being used.

[Wikipedia and Universe]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10682693?ls I'd suggest updating this since I remember reading in your OP about the disadvantages of solid state lasers. The CIWS is a solid state which can be effectively used against UAV's, missiles, mortars, rockets, and sink small ships. A video is included in the link showing it being used.

Noticed it was made by Raytheon, so are they talking about LADS?

[Jagalonia]

Regarding a space laser, if I powered one with...say...3 nuclear power plants, do you believe that would provide enough energy to say...knock a satalite out?

[Salzland]

Regarding a space laser, if I powered one with...say...3 nuclear power plants, do you believe that would provide enough energy to say...knock a satalite out?

If you want a ground-based laser, you might as well just stick with a chemical laser similar to what is equipped on board the Boeing YAL-1 aircraft. The United States has "intercepted" (I use the term losely, because the actual laser strike knocked out the testing sensors as well as the satellite) at least one satellite using a ground-based one megawatt chemical laser. A solid state laser with a comparable energy output would, logically, achieve similar results.

That being said, three nuclear reactors would be a hideous amount of overkill for attacking a satellite, unless you're going for something in High Earth Orbit. Basically the only things up that high are communications satellites. Certainly a small diesel power plant would be able to meet the energy requirements for a one megawatt laser, and would be much less blatant about what was going on than three nuclear power plants would be.

[Jagalonia]

Regarding a space laser, if I powered one with...say...3 nuclear power plants, do you believe that would provide enough energy to say...knock a satalite out?

If you want a ground-based laser, you might as well just stick with a chemical laser similar to what is equipped on board the Boeing YAL-1 aircraft. The United States has "intercepted" (I use the term losely, because the actual laser strike knocked out the testing sensors as well as the satellite) at least one satellite using a ground-based one megawatt chemical laser. A solid state laser with a comparable energy output would, logically, achieve similar results.

That being said, three nuclear reactors would be a hideous amount of overkill for attacking a satellite, unless you're going for something in High Earth Orbit. Basically the only things up that high are communications satellites. Certainly a small diesel power plant would be able to meet the energy requirements for a one megawatt laser, and would be much less blatant about what was going on than three nuclear power plants would be.

So...Basicaly...You're saying the laser I suggested could put another crater in the moon? lol.

[Salzland]

I don't know that I'd go that far. It would certainly not be practical (and perhaps not even possible) to build a laser aparatus outside of FT that would be able to focus that much energy into a coherent, sustained beam. We're talking about something along the lines of (potentially) three gigawatts, which is a lot of energy. Just trying to run the electricity to the laser would probably cause the wiring and equipment (especially the computers, etcetera) to overload and fry.

Nor would such a laser blow a crater in anything. Lasers (at least in MT) operate as, essentially, a glorified blow torch that will eventually burn through its target over the course of seconds. Increasing the power and decreasing the distance to the target will increase the speed at which this happens. Based on the distance and rotational velocities involved, if such a laser could even be built and if it had the range to reach the moon, at most you would probably be able to heat up the topsoil by a degree or two.

If you really want to put craters in something, just bomb it.

[Jagalonia]

I realze that a weapon of that size would be horrible overkill...But don't you ever want to do something just to say you did it? Ever been at a cocktail party with other national leaders and be able to say "I built a laser that can blast all your satalites out of the sky." No one can trump that.

Anyways, This information has been useful, Thank you.

[Wikipedia and Universe]

Did anyone else hear about the test of the 15kw US Navy laser which roasted a pair of outboard motors on a skiff in salty mist air in 4-foot raging waves- from a mile away?

[The Soviet Technocracy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10682693?ls I'd suggest updating this since I remember reading in your OP about the disadvantages of solid state lasers. The CIWS is a solid state which can be effectively used against UAV's, missiles, mortars, rockets, and sink small ships. A video is included in the link showing it being used.

Noticed it was made by Raytheon, so are they talking about LADS?

yes

obv

[EternalNight]

Noticed it was made by Raytheon, so are they talking about LADS?

yes

obv

I believe LADS is now being called Centurion. But yeah, same system.

[The Soviet Technocracy]

yes

obv

I believe LADS is now being called Centurion. But yeah, same system.

sounds dumb

i liked LADS better

made it sound like a laser based C-RAM

[Samozaryadnyastan]

Nice FAQ Axis. My region's RMB had 'issues' a while back when 3 or 4 nations decided to inexplicably acquire vast space fleets and orbital laser artillery - and then glassed an entire nation with them
There was a huge lecture on economy and military funding (thank you NSE), and it was 'sorted'.

Also, you said you wouldn't entertain the notion of using smoke to confuse lasers. If you were to use a 'smoke' generated chemically and impregnated with a metallic crystal (perhaps silver iodide?), I feel that this would be effective at dispersing at least some of the energy of such a laser. Slight countermeasure would be more effective than no countermeasure whatsoever.

[New Hayesalia]

Would the power from unadulterated solar power on a satellite produce enough power?

[Samozaryadnyastan]

Would the power from unadulterated solar power on a satellite produce enough power?

If you have enough solar collectors, I see no reason why this wouldn't be the case. It might be more effective to simply focus the sunlight than use it to power a laser. It would certainly be massively more efficient - most mass-produced solar cells are around 10% efficient, 'high grade' is regarded as 20-30% and experimental models have only reached around 46% unconfirmed peak efficiency.

[Jagalonia]

Would the power from unadulterated solar power on a satellite produce enough power?

If you have enough solar collectors, I see no reason why this wouldn't be the case. It might be more effective to simply focus the sunlight than use it to power a laser. It would certainly be massively more efficient - most mass-produced solar cells are around 10% efficient, 'high grade' is regarded as 20-30% and experimental models have only reached around 46% unconfirmed peak efficiency.

Didn't mythbusters smash Archimedes' weapon though? I remember they did a bit on it, and Jamie was standing right in the light, he's still fine...

[Samozaryadnyastan]

If you have enough solar collectors, I see no reason why this wouldn't be the case. It might be more effective to simply focus the sunlight than use it to power a laser. It would certainly be massively more efficient - most mass-produced solar cells are around 10% efficient, 'high grade' is regarded as 20-30% and experimental models have only reached around 46% unconfirmed peak efficiency.

Didn't mythbusters smash Archimedes' weapon though? I remember they did a bit on it, and Jamie was standing right in the light, he's still fine...

That involved a few mirrors on the ground. If we had a focusing device (not necessarily even mirrors - even if they were mirrors, problems on the ground of surface contamination would shrink to almost nil) in orbit, where there's no atmospheric interference on the sun's energy, it would certainly be far more effective.

[Jagalonia]

Didn't mythbusters smash Archimedes' weapon though? I remember they did a bit on it, and Jamie was standing right in the light, he's still fine...

That involved a few mirrors on the ground. If we had a focusing device (not necessarily even mirrors - even if they were mirrors, problems on the ground of surface contamination would shrink to almost nil) in orbit, where there's no atmospheric interference on the sun's energy, it would certainly be far more effective.

Still, it will be a while untill we can effectively use that kind of technology.

[Centropyge]

Did anyone else hear about the test of the 15kw US Navy laser which roasted a pair of outboard motors on a skiff in salty mist air in 4-foot raging waves- from a mile away?

Yes. My brother showed that to me, and I promptly realized that, as a PMT nation, I had better get to work revamping the CIWS systems on any new Royal Navy ships and probably should begin refits of older vessels before long as well--or come up with a good RP reason why my ships DON'T have lasers.

To the OP...looks like a good guide!!! I hadn't considered lasers a viable MT/PMT weapon until recently. I now think I will have to do my due diligence and look into this.

[Otagia]

Did anyone else hear about the test of the 15kw US Navy laser which roasted a pair of outboard motors on a skiff in salty mist air in 4-foot raging waves- from a mile away?

Over the course of a minute and a half, when a guy with a Barrett could have holed both with one round. Not precisely impressive.

[Wikipedia and Universe]

Did anyone else hear about the test of the 15kw US Navy laser which roasted a pair of outboard motors on a skiff in salty mist air in 4-foot raging waves- from a mile away?

Over the course of a minute and a half, when a guy with a Barrett could have holed both with one round. Not precisely impressive.

To be fair it was more of a proof-of-concept test than anything. They are looking at up-gunning the laser even more over time.

I believe LADS is now being called Centurion. But yeah, same system.

sounds dumb

i liked LADS better

made it sound like a laser based C-RAM

I think it's still called LADS. Centurion is a land-based Phalanx mounted on a flatbed truck to fend off rocket attacks and such. When they started breeding it with MTHEL technology, people started calling it the "laser Centurion".

[Delmire]

I heard that to use the stronger end of the spectrum your actually into invisible light, you cant see the laser (like microwaves etc.)
is that true?

[Axis Nova]

Infrared and ultraviolet lasers are indeed invisible to the naked eye.

[Otagia]

To be fair, you typically can't see the laser anyhow, unless it's passing through fog or some such (or it's obscenely powerful). Otherwise, you won't get enough backscatter off the air it's passing through to render it visible.

[Strykla]

Infrared and ultraviolet lasers are indeed invisible to the naked eye.

Dur! They're not in my spectrum.