this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2024
154 points (98.1% liked)

World News

49311 readers
2122 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The UK has successfully fired a high-power laser weapon against an aerial target for the first time in a trial.

It is hoped that the test will pave the way for a low-cost alternative to missiles to shoot down targets like drones.

The DragonFire weapon is precise enough to hit a £1 coin from a kilometre away, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.

all 32 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 43 points 2 years ago (1 children)

At the risk of sounding excessively American, I kinda want one

[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 18 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I too need this for hunting/home defense.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I just hate pound coins that are too far away

[–] quindraco@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It can hit the coin, but it might not be able to hurt it. A missile is a lot more fragile than a coin.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠಿ

Fuck

[–] papertowels@lemmy.one 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Mosquitos will never know what hit em.

[–] bitwolf@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago

There is a Mosquito laser defense system already. I love watching the demo with classical music looped over it

[–] rayyy@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago

The British should field-test them in Ukraine

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

If the targeting system is fast and accurate enough, that would be a difficult system to counter without using some kind of laser as well to destroy it, or an attack on its power source.

[–] LufyCZ@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 years ago

MoD hate this one trick

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Having such lasers stationary is one thing, but having them mobile another. You need a lot of stored energy to fire those things. And the tracking is probably the hardest task, at least for small or very fast objects, because you need to be so much more accurate compared to autocannons with programmable ammunition.

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Having such lasers stationary is one thing, but having them mobile another.

The US already has them. They're called DE M-SHORAD and they're mounted on Strykers.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yes, like the Skyranger 30 HEL, which can be mounted on a Boxer or Lynx KF41, but those are still meant for flimsy aerial targets, not an armored laser turret within a heavily protected compound.

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 3 points 2 years ago

but those are still meant for flimsy aerial targets, not an armored laser turret within a heavily protected compound.

Wait, what? The comment I replied to insinuated that a mobile 50KW system wasn't possible so I linked you to one that the US already has. You then linked me to the Skyranger which has a LESS powerful laser than DE M-SHORAD and brought up "armored laser turrets within a heavily protected compound."

I am now confused as to your point.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

At the same time, you don’t have to worry about the travel time of the projectile because it’s instant you also don’t have to worry about things like air, causing a projectile to drift because there is no projectile. All you need is direct line of sight.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 1 points 2 years ago

That's pretty irrelevant when you saturate the air with rapidly fired shotgun like projectiles. You have a big cloud of submunitions that the target has to get through.

[–] avater@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

we should test it on the kreml or putin when is riding shirtless again.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Lasers are still a meme weapon. Their range is short and has extremely high loss with distance. Furthermore they need to burn a target for a while so the exact same tactic that defeated the iron dome will defeat these lasers a hundred times harder. A barrage of cheap rockets and drones all at the same time.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 3 points 2 years ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The UK has successfully fired a high-power laser weapon against an aerial target for the first time in a trial.

It is hoped that the test will pave the way for a low-cost alternative to missiles to shoot down targets like drones.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the technology could reduce "the reliance on expensive ammunition, while also lowering the risk of collateral damage".

The MoD says both the Army and Royal Navy are considering using the technology as part of their future air defence capabilities.

It is being developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), alongside some industry partners, on behalf of the MoD.

Dstl's chief executive Dr Paul Hollinshead said: "These trials have seen us take a huge step forward in realising the potential opportunities and understanding the threats posed by directed energy weapons."


The original article contains 402 words, the summary contains 138 words. Saved 66%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] Xanthrax@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

I guess the Israelis proved the iron beam works.

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago

Yes this is probably powered....controlled by AI. Fantastic. Okay, we got autonomous dogs and jumpingjacks acrobatic humanoids, when do we allow to mount lasers to their backs? Are laser drones less scary? Nope.

But sure it would be a good weapon to quickly blind the enemy ruzzians.

[–] Luvs2Spuj@lemmy.world -5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Cheaper than missiles! Look how cheap it is to kill people now. Unfortunately we need to kill more innocents now to keep the manufacturers in profit.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

How are we gonna make a laser arc? And if it was from an aerial POV it would actually cause less collateral damage than something that explodes.

[–] deft@lemmy.wtf -1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Why is this comment downvoted? Raytheon exists on Lemmy or something?

[–] Luvs2Spuj@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

I forgot that you have to use /s in every sentence one the internet. /s