“German defense contractor Rheinmetall has shown off a new two-part laser system with a combined output of 50 kW, capable of shooting down drones and intercepting mortar rounds in mid-flight. The high-energy laser (HEL) weapon consists of a 30 kW primary laser mounted on a rotating turret and a 20 kW secondary beam for targeting stationary objects. In tests conducted in late November, the beams combined to slice through a 15mm steel girder at a distance of roughly 1,000 yards, while the 30 kW laser on its own was able to intercept a drone moving at more than 110 mph.”
http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/23/3794814/rheinmetall-50kw-laser-weapon
Related posts:
Authors Guild demands ISPs monitor, filter Internet of pirated goods
What Was Bradley Manning’s Sin?
Cuba part three, Cuban-U.S. relations: end the embargo now
Activists to U.S.: Release 5 Prisoners Serving Life Terms for Marijuana
G. Edward Griffin on Bitcoin with Max Wright and Trace Mayer
Bank Crisis Arrives: €29B Bremen Landesbank On The Verge Of Failure
Retired Couple Turn Into World Traveling Nomads
Homelanders propose raising taxes on US Persons abroad to pay for “territorial taxation”
Bureaucrat Who Concocted Annoying Password Rules Now Regrets It
Mozilla caves to pressure, will enable HTML5 DRM in Firefox
The Murder of David Sal Silva
UK Royal Mint Working On Plans To Issue Gold-Backed Physical Bitcoins
U.S. Spends $16 Billion Every Year To Care For Elderly Prisoners
Lawsuit Exposes Google’s Internal Culture of Intolerance
Western Union Says Bitcoin Not Ready For Primetime