The parked truck's hood and engine gets burned through like butter, and as you can see, the accuracy is pretty amazing. If this was a missile, it would have exploded in the air. The laser can produce between 100-300 kW of power, and the next step is to trial it on moving targets.

Even though the Air Force has scaled back the ambitious program's funding, perhaps we may still see the laser make it to battlefields. Maybe on the 250-Foot Long Hybrid Airship that will spy over Afghanistan in 2011? [Boeing via PopSci]

Sugimoto has a new exhibition of photographs called "Lightning Fields" on view at Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco from 9/10 to 10/31. Go check it out if you're in the area! And for somewhat similar photos, check out Robert Buelteman's electrified flower photos. [PDN Photo of the Day via Kottke]

USA Today says that the Advanced Tactical Laser was carried aboard a C-130 plane. Though the power level produced during the test wasn't revealed, these lasers, Global Security says the Advanced Tactical Laser can produce between 100-300 kW of lethal or non-lethal power (in theory).

The Advanced Tactical Laser is said to improve accuracy of military attacks with less collateral damage, something the U.S. Military has drawn criticism for as of late. But you know that secretly, General Gates is even more excited by the idea of getting some pew pew action in real life. [USA Today]

If they're successful, it'll be the most monumental discovery of the modern era, basically solving all of our energy problems. If it's successful. Which it damned well may not be.

Unfortunately, it's going to be a while before we find out if it works or not. It is open now, but it's got tests scheduled on it until 2040. Once they have it all set, they think that heating up that hydrogen to 100,000,000C will cause it to fuse to form helium, making it the first machine in history to create more energy than it uses. Exciting stuff, if it works. [National Ignition Facility via Inhabitat]

Don't count on holding an invasion of them, though. The coil gun—which uses electromagnetic coils configured as a synchronous linear electric motor, accelerating fire metal pieces as it goes through it—needs eight seconds to have enough electric charge. And that's while plugged to the wall. With batteries, it's 90 seconds.

That said, it's quite impressive, knowing that it only took its creator, Daniel Eindhoven, 40 hours to make it. I want. [The Contaminated]

Gizmag says Free Electron Lasers move at the speed of light and are capable of outputting a megawatt of power, which the military requires for adequate defense. FELs differ from gas or solid state lasers because they're not atomically bound. Instead the electrons are contained in a magnetic-based structure that lets the particles move freely. The FEL will be part of the foundation for the Navy's plan to develop an all-electric ship, which would be as capable as current Naval ships. [Gizmag] (Image Courtesy of the NYT)

The scientists discovered that this method of mending makes the skin less likely to tear and is much more watertight than traditional needle and thread stitches. So far, experiments on real patients have found that the wounds heal faster and with less scaring.

They're hoping that their invention will be in operating rooms around the world in a few years. [Reuters]

Yes, in order to blow up a planet the size of earth, you'll need to harness about 2.2 x 10^32 joules. That's a ridiculously high amount of energy. And that's not even enough to really put on a show; if you want to do more than just dissociate the planet into a diffuse cloud, you'll need way more.

I don't know about you guys, but the lack of realism in the Star Wars films has really started pissing me off. I'm going to write a strongly-worded letter to George Lucas. [Science Blogs]

Small UAVs armed with explosives or equipped with surveillance sensors are a growing threat on the battlefield. Laser Avenger, unlike a conventional weapon, can fire its laser beam without creating missile exhaust or gun flashes that would reveal its position. As a result, Laser Avenger can neutralize these UAV threats while keeping our troops safe.

The Laser Avenger is mounted on the kinetic-based Avenger air defense system. However, no kinetic weapons were used in taking down the UAV. Tested at the White Sands Missile Range— a 3,200-square-mile rocket range in New Mexico, the largest military installation in the US—the Laser Avenger tracked three UAVs flying "against a complex background of mountains and desert", shooting down one of the UAVs.

The test success comes after the company doubled the laser power and added acquisition and tracking capabilities to the original design. Star Wars, here we go. [Via Press Release]

Last week it was Boeing's Airborne Laser first full trial, then the anti-missile rocket launched at Vanderberg Airforce Base, and now it is the—quite amazing, I've to admit—Multiple Kill Vehicle hovering test, a system designed to neutralize Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, flying into falling warheads and decoys to eliminate them, one by one, with mini-vehicles. As President-elect Obama gets ready to cut unnecessary military programs, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and the Pentagon are hurrying to demonstrate their ongoing projects. The question is: Would cutting such programs—which generate highly-skilled employment and advance technology—actually help the economy? Would military cuts make the US irrelevant in the long run or could we transition to a more peaceful aerospace industry?

The FIRESTRIKE(tm) laser is a line replaceable system that allows for scaling a laser weapon to desired power levels for specific warfighting applications and platforms. Northrop Grumman believes that FIRESTRIKE(tm) laser will form the backbone of future laser weapon systems.

You can put together up to eight of these to achieve the maximum power available, although that would so much electric power that the military would have to mount them in tanks. Which, mind you, I bet it's exactly what they have in mind.

This is a big leap in laser weapons because, until now, the only effective way to get laser weapons to work with enough lethal power was using chemicals. These were extremely heavy and the whole firing process extremely hazardous. The solid-state laser in Firestrike is hard and very easy to manage, as it only requires electricity and has no by-products. It's also very rugged, according to Northrop's beam-cannon chief Dan Wildt:

This is a rugged electric laser with power levels, beam quality and runtime suitable for offensive and defensive military utility. Also available is a newly designed laser current source assembly (LCSA), which is compact, and specifically developed to precisely meet FIRESTRIKE(tm)'s power needs. Combined with advanced electro optical and/or infrared sensors, the FIRESTRIKE(tm) laser can provide self-defense, precision strike and enhanced situational awareness capabilities.

The lasers don't have to run intermittently either. There's no pew pew here. Just one long buzz that will last until it runs out of energy or coolant.

FIRESTRIKE(tm) Laser Features

Power: 15kW laser
Beam Quality: Nominally 1.5 times the diffraction limit
Size: Laser head - 12" x 23" x 40" (width, depth, height), Current source - 9" x 13" x 30"
Runtime: Continuous, as long as power and coolant are provided
Instant Turn-on: Zero to full power in less than 1/2 second
Safety_ Remote operation, customer interlock access, internal safety sensors
Control: Common Command and Control (C2) systems and Ethernet interfaces Low Power Setting Provides nominally 100 watt alignment beam Weight: 400 lbs per LRU
Ruggedization: Hardened LRUs with compact SSL technology engineered for mobility and field operations

[Northrop Grumman]

In the past, laser projectors were never considered because lasers would produce speckle in the picture, thus reducing picture sharpness. But what researchers have done is combine separate red, blue and green lasers together with DLP technology to produce a clear picture. By melding the separate lasers together to produce a white laser, then having the DLP break it back part into RGB pixels, each laser cancels out the speckle created by the others.

Not only that, but in theory, by increasing the intensity of the lasers, these new projectors could theoretically display 90% of the visible color range while still using 35 percent less power than a xenon lamp projector. The only issue now for the budding technology is the initial cost. Considering lasers last much longer than Xenon lamps and movie houses can ditch film without sacrificing picture quality, these laser projectors should be an enticing option. [The Economist]

He used both red and yellow LEDs for the buster, making the gun part of it red while the power meter is a cool yellow. Seriously, this is amazing. He's still putting together the rest of the costume, but it's safe to say that it'll be a sad day when his son outgrows this thing. If I had one of these in my size, I'd wear it at least once a week. [Destructoid and Destructoid via Neatorama]

As you can see in the schematics, the fire-control system uses thermal optic, day-sight, laser range finder, compass and IR light to exactly measure the distance to the target, programming each of the rounds' fuses so it explodes next to the target using a wireless connection. According to the US Army, this gives maximum destruction power and minimum collateral damage, while allowing to save barriers that previously didn't allow to reach the target.

The capability to program the rounds is what allows this weapon to go "around objects." If, for example, there's a sniper hidden behind a trench, the soldier can program each round so it explodes just above the target. The bullets will explode at that exact range, taking down the target thanks to their air bursting power.

The XM25 is capable of firing an air-bursting round out to 600 meters with a 360-degree explosive radius, all with extreme precision according to testers. However, each round doesn't have to be lethal: There will be two kind of non-lethal rounds (blunt and airburst) to neutralize enemies without killing them.

The new system is also user friendly. Apparently, each type of bullet—high explosive air bursting, armor piercing, door breaching, anti-personnel, non-lethal—is color-coded:

All this technology comes at a price, however. The US Army will have to pay $25,000 for each weapon, plus $25 for each programmable 25mm round. The rounds, however, will be absolutely free of charge for terrorists or anyone at the other side of the battlefield, bad guy or passerby. [Defense Tech]

Wired's Danger room notes that the U.S. Air Force has effectively shifted away from the instant death scenario as of late, and focuses instead on how long it will take to cook a human with a laser (allegedly, everything is still top secret).

[F]rom what we know, the Air Force considers laser effects on eyes and skin, for the most part. Skin damage is very much easier to achieve than penetration; simply raising skin temperature to (say) 80C/ 180 f to a depth of a couple of millimeters will cause serious blistering (second-third degree burns). If 40% of the body is burned in this way, then the target will be disabled and may die.

[...] So instead of "zap-and-you're-dead" in normal science fiction style, with a hundred kilowatt laser, it's more a matter of spraying the target all over to ensure they're done. The description of the ATL as a "long range blow torch" is probably quite accurate.

I suppose it's fitting that a new slogan for tomorrow's battlefields came from a Colonel: Original recipe, or extra crispy? [Danger Room]

Northrop Grumman calls the individual components "laser chains," and say they've managed to successfully link two of them together (out of eight). Moreover, they have them running at peak power (30kW) for 5 minutes continuously and 40 minutes non continuously. Wired writes that a laser of this caliber should be able to knock mortars and rockets out of the sky.

Once thought to be significantly less powerful, electric lasers have progressed to the point that they're close to being a suitable chemical laser alternative. Not only that, they're also much safer in real world scenarios, evil villains notwithstanding. With Northrop Grumman assuring the Pentagon these will be ready by the end of the year, I'm getting kinda excited. [Danger Room]

The good news for peaceniks is the U.S. Army doesn't think mission-ready laser weapons will arrive until at least 2016, and even then the systems will be limited use (Doomsday delayed again! Hooray!).

That hasn't stopped G.I. Joe-type development from going forward, however. In addition to the aerial laser tested in June and the missile-targeting, ground-based HEL TD, Boeing is also working on the Laser Avenger. The Avenger is a Humvee-mounted laser weapon system designed to target small ground targets like roadside bombs, IEDs, and, let's face it folks, people. We just hope they aren't wearing Imperial Stormtrooper armor at that time—that shit is worthless! [CNet]

You can find, fix, target, and engage an enemy. A target could be a [computer] network... or it could be physical, with a [geographical] location. But we need the capabilities, just like we have in kinetic warfare, to engage targets when necessary. It could be either a kinetic or non-kinetic effect you want to achieve. And we need the ability to provide either.

It depends on our target; it depends on our rules of engagement—are we conducting open warfare with an adversary? If that's the case, then we don't really need to be discreet about it. When we drop a JDAM [Joint DIrect Attack Munition aka "big mofo guided bomb"] and leave a big smoking hole, that's not very discreet.

If I can [locate] it and I can take it out with a kinetic attack ... and it meets the rules of engagement, then that might be the preferred method.

I can already imagine the IRC chats "Noob!? See if you can firewall this, bozo!" [Defense Tech]

The technical specs:

The synth is built into an original Commodore 64 computer case. And features 8 SID chips (4 stereo pairs - one SID per ear x 4 voices). Each SID chip has 3 oscillators and a variety of other features like filters, ADSR, ringmod, sync. The synth has a very flexible (and simple to use) modulation matrix, LFO, bassline sequencers, and stores patches in presets.

[Flickr via Technabob]

Boeing Fires New Thin-Disk Laser, Achieving Solid-State Laser Milestone

ST. LOUIS, June 03, 2008 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] fired its new thin-disk laser system repeatedly in recent tests, achieving the highest known simultaneous power, beam quality and run time for any solid-state laser to date.

In each laser firing at Boeing's facility in West Hills, Calif., the high-energy laser achieved power levels of over 25 kilowatts for multi-second durations, with a measured beam quality suitable for a tactical weapon system. The Boeing laser integrates multiple thin-disk lasers into a single system. Through these successful tests, the Boeing team has proven the concept of scalability to a 100-kilowatt-class system based on the same architecture and technology.

"Solid-state lasers will revolutionize the battlefield by giving the warfighter an ultra-precision engagement capability that can dramatically reduce collateral damage," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "These successful tests show that Boeing has made solid progress toward making this revolutionary capability a reality."

The thin-disk laser is an initiative to demonstrate that solid-state laser technologies are now ready to move out of the laboratory and into full development as weapon systems. Solid-state lasers are powered by electricity, making them highly mobile and supportable on the battlefield. The Boeing laser represents the most electrically efficient solid-state laser technology known. The system is designed to meet the rapid-fire, rapid-retargeting requirements of area-defense, anti-missile and anti-mortar tactical high-energy laser systems. It is also ideal for non-lethal, ultra-precision strike missions urgently needed by warfighters in war zones.

"This accomplishment demonstrates Boeing's commitment to advancing the state of the art in directed energy technology," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Directed Energy Systems. "These successful tests are a significant milestone toward providing reliable and supportable lasers to U.S. warfighters."

Boeing's approach incorporates a series of commercial-off-the-shelf, state-of-the-art lasers used in the automotive industry. These industrial lasers have demonstrated exceedingly high reliability, supportability and maintainability.

A high-power solid-state laser will damage, disable or destroy targets at the speed of light, with little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations.

[Boeing, Thanks, Jason!]