3 ms·

So why do we need this vs just shooting things with bullets? I'm down with the crazy railgun systems they've developed, but this seems like a boondoggle.

Symmetry 16y ago
Unfortunately bullets take time to arrive at their target and are effected by gravity. That makes lasers better for shooting small things far away traveling at high speeds.
- goatforce5 16y ago
  From the video it appeared as though the laser stayed locked on to a certain point on the side of the motor, adjusting for the movement of the ocean. Being a sniper trying to deal with pirates and hostages on a rough sea, for example, must be kinda tricky.
- knowtheory 16y ago
  Yeah but if you're on the sea, your target is moving all over the place anyway. Lasers, even really powerful ones, have to stay focused on the same point in order to have an effect, yeah? W/ a bullet, you get all the kinetic energy at whatever the point of impact is.
- wladimir 16y ago
  Lasers aren't a suitable long-range weapon here in the atmosphere, though. The dissipation over distance is very bad. And if your laser is too powerful it'll heat the air it goes through so much that it turns into plasma, making the situation even worse. It might be suitable for shooting fast moving objects such as missiles over a short distance.
swombat 16y ago
I guess accuracy is the main benefit. You can aim a laser a lot more accurately than fast-moving chunks of metal... Also, lasers are cool. I'm sure that's a factor :-)
bradleyland 16y ago
It depends upon your goal. One 3-second burst from a just about any minigun would clear the deck of a typical pirate vessel, but anyone on board isn't going to return to shore. There are political and ethical considerations to killing pirates on sight. If your goal is to disable the vessel, a laser like this stands a far greater chance of disabling the vessel without killing the inhabitants.

Symmetry 16y ago

Unfortunately bullets take time to arrive at their target and are effected by gravity. That makes lasers better for shooting small things far away traveling at high speeds.

goatforce5 16y ago
From the video it appeared as though the laser stayed locked on to a certain point on the side of the motor, adjusting for the movement of the ocean. Being a sniper trying to deal with pirates and hostages on a rough sea, for example, must be kinda tricky.
knowtheory 16y ago
Yeah but if you're on the sea, your target is moving all over the place anyway. Lasers, even really powerful ones, have to stay focused on the same point in order to have an effect, yeah? W/ a bullet, you get all the kinetic energy at whatever the point of impact is.
wladimir 16y ago
Lasers aren't a suitable long-range weapon here in the atmosphere, though. The dissipation over distance is very bad. And if your laser is too powerful it'll heat the air it goes through so much that it turns into plasma, making the situation even worse. It might be suitable for shooting fast moving objects such as missiles over a short distance.

swombat 16y ago

I guess accuracy is the main benefit. You can aim a laser a lot more accurately than fast-moving chunks of metal... Also, lasers are cool. I'm sure that's a factor :-)

bradleyland 16y ago

It depends upon your goal. One 3-second burst from a just about any minigun would clear the deck of a typical pirate vessel, but anyone on board isn't going to return to shore. There are political and ethical considerations to killing pirates on sight. If your goal is to disable the vessel, a laser like this stands a far greater chance of disabling the vessel without killing the inhabitants.