US Navy disintegrates drone with Ray Gun

[riddler 0]

No joke.

http://www.switched.com/2010/06/02/navys-anti-missile-laser-cannon-successfully-tested-at-sea/

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[JohnRich 4]

Quote: "The Laser Weapon System, or LaWS, is being proposed as a replacement for the Close In Weapon System (CIWS), or Phalanx gun, which currently serves as the last line of defense against anti-ship weapons. The Phalanx gun consists of a radar tracking system and a Gatling gun..."

What about during rain? Won't a laser will be ineffective when the light beam is broken up by bad weather conditions, like rain or fog? A gatling gun, on the other hand, will spit lead in any conditions.

[Skyrad 0]

If it can down a missile I doubt it will have a problem with raindrops.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

If it can down a missile I doubt it will have a problem with raindrops.

Quote:

"The primary advancement of the LaWS is that it has overcome an issue that has plagued other ship-based laser weapons: the light beams' tendency to lose power as the result of breaking up more quickly in the damp ocean air."

Okay, so they've overcome the "damp air" problem. Now, what about rain and fog?

I'm reminded of early pioneer America, when the Indians figured out that the best time to attack the Englishmen invaders was during rainstorms, because their gunpowder firearms wouldn't work in rain, while arrows worked in all weather conditions. The superior firepower of the Englishmen was then rendered moot.

[kelpdiver 2]

I'd expect that with more moisture, the lower the effective range. With more power, the longer the effective range.

Fog is easier than rain - the beam that can destroy a drone can evaporate the moisture in the way. But rain drops keep replacing the vaporized ones in the path

[kallend 2,147]

Quote

Quote: "The Laser Weapon System, or LaWS, is being proposed as a replacement for the Close In Weapon System (CIWS), or Phalanx gun, which currently serves as the last line of defense against anti-ship weapons. The Phalanx gun consists of a radar tracking system and a Gatling gun..."

What about during rain? Won't a laser will be ineffective when the light beam is broken up by bad weather conditions, like rain or fog? A gatling gun, on the other hand, will spit lead in any conditions.

Just ask the bad guys to refrain from attacking in bad weather.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[riddler 0]

My guess is they simply wouldn't use it in heavy rain. I doubt they would use a machine gun either - it's too hard to see what you're shooting at.

Most ships of war have several weapons options, and they'll use the best ones for the situation, weather included.

This still blows me away. OK, I get it's the 21st century. But Ray Guns? Really? And it's not like these prototype flying cars and jet packs that none of us will ever have in our lifetimes - the Army and Navy really are buying these things and intend on using them.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[jakee 1,594]

Quote

My guess is they simply wouldn't use it in heavy rain. I doubt they would use a machine gun either - it's too hard to see what you're shooting at.

Phalanx aiming radar doesn't work in the rain?

I've never thought about this bvefore, how much are short range radar systems affected by the weather?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?