no protection against laser weapons

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by JMB, Apr 4, 2005.

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  1. JMB Registered Member

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    Sorry, this thread was posted in "earth & science" forum. It is more convenient here.
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    In warfare, soon or later (probably soon) ground based laser weapons would become able to track and shot down any aircraft (should it be manned or unmanned). Either by burning the electronic embedded systems, blinding the pilot or digging holes in any airframes. As it is (it seem) impossible to protect
    effectively the pilots, the electronics and the airframes against powerful laser weapons, this laser threat is really going to ruin any air supremacy either manned or even unmanned... as well as the military AC industry altogether !

    Note : some eyes protection googles do exist, but they will NEVER be able to protect military aircrew against powerful blinding laser weapons !

    Arguments against these facts ?
     
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  3. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    What if the fighter jet is at low altitude, below radar, how will the laser hit it? How will the laser see the jet? It takes time for a laser to actually hurt the jet because a jet has many areas that aren't able to be destroyed by just a single laser hit, just like with bullets. The pilots face shiels could be mirror coated reflecting the laser off of it also therefore protecting him/ her against lasers.
     
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  5. guthrie paradox generator Registered Senior Member

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    Lasers also have extreme trouble with clouds, rain, etc, and probably also reflective surfaces, and gogles can be made for pilots to protect them against laser light, since there are only a few wavelengths that are good for using in atmosphere.
    Which is not to say that they will be totally useless, just another minor addition to the weapons already in stock.
     
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  7. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Also there are ways of "jamming" radar today that make seeing a jet impossible and stealth jets cannot be detected easily either. How are lasers going to overcome radar jamming in order to hit the jets?
     
  8. Alpha «Visitor» Registered Senior Member

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  9. blackholesun Registered Senior Member

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    A hugenormous mirror!
     
  10. neil cox Registered Senior Member

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    Guthrie gave the best answer. When and if much more powerful laser are used in warfare, counter measures will be developed, making still more powerful lasers necessary. At pressent, range is short, and long exposure to the beam is necessary to make failure of the plane or pilot probable. Modern electronics make it reasonably safe to pilot a plane without any windows. Enough laser power can cut windows in the pilot and pilot area. Putting a miror finish on the entire aircraft means 99% of the laser beam energy is reflected, instead of the present 90%? Neil
     
  11. glaucon tending tangentially Registered Senior Member

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    Wouldn't this all depend on the particular frequency of light being used? Certain materials have refractive indexes that could quite easily effectively scatter light.
     
  12. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    Easily. Radars can use the same technology to avoid jamming that radio communications do; channel hopping. You can't blanket jam the entire spectrum, or you render yourself blind too. The algorithm jumps unpredictably, and transmits in bursts, so it's impossible to jam a single user. (this is nothing new, and was invented by Hedy Lamarr (I shit you not, follow the link; http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/radio_history/gtnames/hedy_lamarr.php ))

    Stealth aircraft are only difficult to detect from a single radar. When flown through an area covered by an array however, they are detectable. Mobile phone arrays are perfect for this purpose. The energy is dissipated by the shape of the aircraft and it's special paint, so not much goes back the way it came. BUT, if you have transmitters/receivers at regularly spaced intervals, say, a mobile phone cell apart, each station can pick up a portion of the reflected signal, and it can be pieced together. (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06/20/stealth_detection_system_disappears/)
     
  13. Alpha «Visitor» Registered Senior Member

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    As I pointed out, those countermeasures are already in development.
     
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