The U.S. Navy will use the laser gun first this summer . In addition , they hope to add an electromagnetic railgun at the arsenal in 2016 .
" Laser Weapon System, which looks like it will be a modern white cannon stationed on the USS Ponce , who served in the Middle East , " writes Mashable , Wednesday, February 19 , quoting AP .
The weapon was designed to fire invisible infrared energy rays that can penetrate the drones and small ships that threaten U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf . The railgun will be used to deal with larger targets , such as warships . The U.S. Navy wants to use it both as a cost-effective weapon .
Unlike bullets , lasers are not inexhaustible , and much cheaper than conventional ammunition . Using the railgun also cheaper than using regular missiles because its operation requires only electricity and a small projectile .
How it works is : the user puts projectiles at two parallel conductor rails , which utilizes an electrical charge to accelerate projectiles , and sends it toward the target in six to seven times the speed of sound . Projectile weighing 7 pounds ( 3.17 kilograms ) with the speed it can cause major damage . Moreover , the U.S. Navy can make the projectile less than naval missiles , each missile which cost about U.S. $ 1 million .
According to the Associated Press , the laser beam is not so effective if the air is dusty , overcast or rainy . Nonetheless , the U.S. Navy does not plan to stop development of laser weapons .
U.S. officials say they hope the laser will soon be able to fight the insurgency stronger , like an enemy warship . They also said the cost-effectiveness of both useful weapon when military budgets declined .
" It is fundamentally changing the way we fight , " said Capt. Mike Ziv , program manager for directed energy weapon systems and electric weapons at the Naval Sea Systems Command , told AP .
Thank you for reading this article. Written and posted by Bambang Sunarno. sunarnobambang86@gmail.com
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http://primadonablog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-first-laser-weapon.html
DatePublished: February 20, 2014 at 13:10
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Tag ; The first laser weapon, laser
