laser tag, navy style: us navy wants a 100 kilowatt laser weapon for its warships

June 19th, 2009 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! by: lambert v.

The Office of Naval Research – not to be confused with the Office of Navel Research, a pet project of the previous president – recently awarded defense contractor Raytheon a year-long contract to develop laz0rb33mz. No seriously, the US Navy wants to have a 100-kilowatt Free Electron Laser as a weapon that will be installed on naval warships. Marvel Comics Popular Mechanics explains: “A FEL uses superconducting electron accelerators to produce high-power laser beams that could target cruise missiles, airplanes or boats.” Uhuh. I see. That’s… I see.

Yeah I give up. I don’t even know what’s on the picture. I just find it incredible that the stuff I used to place under “fiction/nightmares” is coming true right before my eyes. Laser weapons? Are you freaking kidding me? The article added that the Raytheon contract was just the first step in a $150 million, three-phase Dr. Evil ONR program.

100-kilowatt laser weapons. Wow. And yet a lot of the problems that were already around when I was a kid are still here today. Like world hunger. Or civilians not having super powers or laser weapons. Seriously. Someone please do something about that.

filed under:  future tech strange + wonderful technology

June 19th, 2009 comments (3): stumble it! digg it! by: lambert v.