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Lasers! Oh yeah
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mattyb
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:09 PM
 
     
The Final Dakar
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:11 PM
 
Can't wait to see it on T-Rex infantry
     
subego
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:14 PM
 
You can't see lasers, silly.
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:16 PM
 
We'll you can, then you're eye boils.
     
osiris
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:19 PM
 
I hope they make "pew pew" sounds when fired.
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The Final Dakar
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:19 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
You can't see lasers, silly.
If I'm taking over the world, using lasers, I'm covering all battlefields with mist, smoke, or fog so I can, god dammit.
     
osiris
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
If I'm taking over the world, using lasers, I'm covering all battlefields with mist, smoke, or fog so I can, god dammit.
As if.

You can have fun with this though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96E0RfyL2Gc
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subego
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
If I'm taking over the world, using lasers, I'm covering all battlefields with mist, smoke, or fog so I can, god dammit.
It's all fun and games until someone brings a mirror.
     
The Final Dakar
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Mar 6, 2015, 12:58 PM
 
Nice try, I'm watching behind two-way glass.
     
subego
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Mar 6, 2015, 01:00 PM
 
Well, if you want to bring the mirror first, fine.

Thanks for the radar target.
     
The Final Dakar
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Mar 6, 2015, 01:04 PM
 
I'm going to enjoy watching you fry.
     
osiris
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Mar 6, 2015, 01:50 PM
 
I wonder if the military laser is as easily defeated by a mirror from the dollar store.
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subego
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Mar 6, 2015, 02:01 PM
 
My guess is it's imperfections in the mirror which would cause it to give out, so a dollar store mirror would give out quicker than the mirror on the Hubble, but it would absolutely give you time you wouldn't have had without it (assuming it's large enough).

Watch where you put your fingers when you hold it in front of you, though.


I always assumed lasers would need to be part of a combined arms type deal.

Lasers get screwed by smoke, clouds, rain, fog, dust, chaff, and mirrors. Really ****ed by mirrors.

You're going to need a built in, non-laser backup.
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Mar 6, 2015, 03:55 PM
 
Or some amount of an ablative material like chalk.
     
The Final Dakar
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Mar 6, 2015, 03:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
ablative
I don't think I've heard this word since descriptions of the USS Defiant's hull in 1997.
     
Cap'n Tightpants
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Mar 6, 2015, 04:10 PM
 
That's why you start with a few small fragmentation shells, then use the laser.
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Mar 6, 2015, 05:32 PM
 
Using a replicator to constantly renew the material is the neat trick they didn't perform.

Atmospheric entry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     
starman
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Mar 6, 2015, 07:35 PM
 
Sorry, not interested until sharks are wearing them on their heads.

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mattyb  (op)
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Mar 8, 2015, 07:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by osiris View Post
I wonder if the military laser is as easily defeated by a mirror from the dollar store.
Metal Storm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just in case there's a smart arse with a mirror.
     
subego
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Mar 8, 2015, 09:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I don't think I've heard this word since descriptions of the USS Defiant's hull in 1997.
It always held a special place in my heart because some old role-playing game called laser resistant armor "ablat". Aftermath IIRC.

Different game had "ablative foam" you could spray on. I wanna say that was Car Wars, but I think I'm wrong.
     
ghporter
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Mar 14, 2015, 08:36 AM
 
Mirrors make things very visible on the battlefield, which is something you would not want to be. So if the bad guy has a blingy, mirrored tank, EVERYBODY can see him and throw lots of conventional weapons at him and break his shiny mirrors. Then the laser can fry what's left, just for good measure.

Seriously, this has lots of potential to change all sorts of combat situations. The real issue won't even be what the laser can do, but how you'll power it on the battlefield. The Air Force airborne laser project ran into that; there's only so much power generation equipment you can load on a 747 (with fuel, cooling, etc.) before you can't fly very well. Admittedly, it would be a LOT of generators, but that's still a limitation, and the testbed aircraft did have problems because of it. They still fried a missile with it, though...

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Thorzdad
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Mar 21, 2015, 08:19 AM
 
My rule of thumb with these kinds of articles is this: Any military information of this type, which is made public, represents the state of the technology as it existed at least two versions ago.
     
subego
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Mar 21, 2015, 12:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
Mirrors make things very visible on the battlefield, which is something you would not want to be.
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Well, if you want to bring the mirror first, fine.

Thanks for the radar target.
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