View Single Post
  #25  
Old June 1st 17, 11:23 AM posted to sci.space.policy
Fred J. McCall[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,018
Default Reusable Laser Launcher

William Mook wrote:


Quite right! Besides, Lasers as they're presently constituted, are CLOSE IN WEAPONS. You don't withdraw the use of sidearms because you can't sink a ship with them! lol. You use them WHERE APPROPRIATE. Only a damn fool would say LASERS are not superior close in weapons for use in a wide range of applications. Only a liar would try to convince you of the lie they're not.


Only someone who is aware of what is actually being done will post
facts as I have done. Only someone who is an absolute nutter who has
once again gone right 'round the bend will post fact free rants, like
Mookie does.

Get some help, Mookie. You need treatment (again).


On Friday, May 19, 2017 at 2:19:18 AM UTC+12, Robert Clark wrote:
"Fred J. McCall" wrote in message
news ==================================================

The U.S. Navy is testing ...

That's "has tested", not "is testing".

... a 30 kilowatt laser ...

Like I said, A laser at power levels too low to be deployed.

... on the USS Ponce that can take out small boats and small drones.

Very small boats and drones.

The plan is to install a more powerful 150
kW laser that can take out larger ships and aircraft:

That's at least three years out. And any ship that gets one will need
at least half a megawatt of spare electrical capacity. That's quite a
stretch, given that big ships like the ARLEIGH BURKE class only have
7.5 MW total and there is already concern whether they can power
potential radar upgrades.
--
================================================== =

The USS Ponce is currently deployed in the Persian Gulf and is authorized to
use its laser to repel attacks from small boats of the type that have been
used to mount terrorist attacks on U.S. ships.

I think you put the decimal point in the wrong place with "7.5 MW total".
The largest nuclear powered ships such as aircraft carriers can have up to
500 megawatt (thermal), 165 megawatt (electric), power plants, more than
enough extra capacity for a half megawatt laser system:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...s#Power_plants

And the new Zumwalt-class destroyers will have ca. 75 megawatt power plants:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumwal...d_power_system

Bob Clark

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, nanotechnology can now fulfill its potential to revolutionize
21st-century technology, from the space elevator, to private, orbital
launchers, to 'flying cars'.
This crowdfunding campaign is to prove it:

Nanotech: from air to space.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/n...ce/x/13319568/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------