mhpr262
These combat laser systems are really taking off now (pun intended). Feed them with power generated by thermoelectric elements wrapped around the exhaust tubes of the turbines and supercapacitors and you have unlimited ammo with no fuel penalty. 150kw should easily be enough power to detonate IEDs while they are being buried by terrorists, or RPG grenades being carried by Taliban, or mortar grenades. Or melt the tires off terrorist getaway vehicles without endangering innocent bystanders.
MBadgero
I'll wait for the car-mounted version in a James Bond movie.
Derek Howe
Awesome, future battles will have Very little collateral damage.
PeterSillavan
Use the force Luke. LOL
Daishi
There was an article here in 2003 about the 10kWh HEL MD laser that mounted on the back of a large truck: http://www.gizmag.com/hel-md-vehicle-mounted-laser-test/30116/
The same system used a 1kW laser in 2009 and the article mentioned that the 10kW version (2013) was for testing and 50kW and 100 kW version were eventually planned.
China also had a fairly large 10kW anti UAV laser. A 150 kW laser under 2,000 lb is amazing but it's also probably more power than is required for many types of targets. From here I wonder how well the technology will scale down to lower powered lasers.
It could make for a very portable 20kW system or in groups 5x30kW lasers could deal with a volley of missiles. It might not be as effective against some targets as a 150 kW version but if they all hit the same target I still wouldn't want to be the target.
BG59
Things like this are just fascinating to me, I hope I live long enough to see it all become ordinary, everyday stuff.
Antony Stewart
To they measure it in Candela? how many candels is one Hellads burst?
Simon Sammut
no more ammunition is the holy grail. As long as you have power you have defense. But this brings other problems like, power supply.
Τριαντάφυλλος Καραγιάννης
All well and good, but what does 150kW mean practically? Does a 2 sec exposure just punch a hole through a tire or through an entire vehicle?
Martin-tu
So this is how the 'War of the Worlds Death Ray' finally enters our increasingly deadly reality, life imitating art. How chilling.