MicroWave@lemmy.world to World News@lemmy.worldEnglish · 5 months agoThe UK says it conducted a 'groundbreaking' trial of a laser beam weapon that can neutralize targets for $0.12 a shotwww.businessinsider.comexternal-linkmessage-square46fedilinkarrow-up1200arrow-down14file-text
arrow-up1196arrow-down1external-linkThe UK says it conducted a 'groundbreaking' trial of a laser beam weapon that can neutralize targets for $0.12 a shotwww.businessinsider.comMicroWave@lemmy.world to World News@lemmy.worldEnglish · 5 months agomessage-square46fedilinkfile-text
The UK said it test-fired a laser beam weapon in a “groundbreaking” trial. The Ministry of Defence said it could neutralize targets for just $0.12 a shot. Countries are racing to develop weapons that can combat drones and missiles.
minus-squareSpikesOtherDog@ani.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4·5 months agoThere has already been work clearing clouds with lasers. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/28317 https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/content/Retrievals_of_Thick_Cloud_Optical_Depth_from_the_Geoscience_Laser_Altimeter_System_GLAS_by IR and UV both seem to penetrate clouds, but I can’t say if they will retain their focus as a directed beam.
There has already been work clearing clouds with lasers.
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/28317
https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/content/Retrievals_of_Thick_Cloud_Optical_Depth_from_the_Geoscience_Laser_Altimeter_System_GLAS_by
IR and UV both seem to penetrate clouds, but I can’t say if they will retain their focus as a directed beam.