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No. The reason they canceled it was because it was a chemical based laser system and thus a logistical nightmare with a shallow magazine. The operational laser
by Robotbeat 4y ago
No. The reason they canceled it was because it was a chemical based laser system and thus a logistical nightmare with a shallow magazine. The operational laser weapons are electrically pumped.
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y agoFrom what I recall, the chemicals in question, were kind of a “Satan’s Soda Pop” brew, and were quite difficult to manage.
- speed_spread 4y ago> Satan's Soda Pop I found this on Wikipedia and I agree: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_oxygen_iodine_laser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_oxygen_iodine_laser Looks like a good topic for one of those "chemicals I will not work with" chronicle.
- flangola7 4y agoThe chemicals don't look that bad. Chlorine, iodine, potash, peroxide. I wouldn't go swimming in them but it's not like they're HF.
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y agoWasn’t the ABL airplane-based? That adds a new dimension. Also, raw peroxide is pretty hairy. I think one of the X-planes (maybe the X-15) used it as fuel. Pretty hypergolic.
- giantrobot 4y agoThe ABL would have also needed dozens of jets flying over the aggressor launching ICBMs to even start to fulfill its mission. To provide enough areal coverage and killing shots several dozen if not a hundred would be needed. The ABL likely developed a lot of cool and still classified technology but it was itself unlikely to ever be a practical system.