A Space.com article took at look at Doug Beason’s book, The E-Bomb: How America’s New Directed Energy Weapons Will Change the Way Wars Will Be Fought in the Future, shorten the title of that book for sakes. The Space.com article is reporting that the book says that the U.S. is close to deploying a new generation of weapons including lasers. Basically Mr. Beason is full of poo. The Tactical High Energy Laser was cancelled last year and the Airborne Laser is billions over budget and a couple years past its deadline. The main reason laser weapons are so difficult to produce is because the weapons use giant vats of toxic chemicals to produce the laser light, so this creates a big mobility issue. Solid state lasers (powered by crystals) could be used, but those are like kiddie toys compared to what chemical lasers can do. Sorry Star Wars and Star Trek cosplay junkies, no RL bew-bew guns to go with your outfit for a while.
Laser Weapons “Almost Ready?” Not! [DefenseTech]
