For those of you who were (and still are) skeptical of Boeing’s claim on the 1 Kw laser’s ability to destroy an explosive or IED, here’s more detail I got from them on how it was done.
Target munitions (IEDs, UXO) are destroyed by heating, resulting in a low-yield detonation. In other words, instead of exploding with their intended full force, the target munition “pops” or “fizzles” out, rendering it safe.
The optical system focuses the 1 kW laser into a “few cm diameter” spot at the target range. Within that spot, the average intensity is over 200 W/cm2. That intensity is approximately 20 times the average thermal output of a standard burner element on an electric stovetop. Over seconds or minutes of illumination time, that effect is sufficient to provide the thermal load necessary to detonate the targets used in the demonstration.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
What is the actual target range used? It’s certainly relevant.
What material was aimed at and how many minutes did it take to gather the needed heat?
This is still anything but something aproaching operational use.
‘minutes’ seems like a perfectly reasonable time frame. How long does an ‘old fashioned’ IED disposal take?
This removes any physical risk (assuming the ‘tactical range’ is on the order of 10′s of meters) from the IED/UXO disposal mission since no person/packbot/robot arm needs to get within handling distance.
So now I can roll up on scene and spend lots of time looking for half a dozen projo’s that get kicked out from a low order detonation. YAY!!
So what’s new such a system from Israel’s RAFAEL is already operational for several years in Israel and is provided for US forces by General Dynamics. Check http://www.defense-update.com/products/t/thor-IED.htm
ok… sounds fair enough and simple enough,
the only question i have then is what counts as a low yeild explosion, if a bomb is being set off from the heat would it not be the same size as if the triger got triped… thusly wouldn’t it be the same size, i could see if you burned through some wireing or something but it just makes sense to me that something designed to blow up would blow up the same size if you set it off on purpose or if it was set off by you tripping the triger….
but if it has a fairly safe radius on it, who really cares right, just get out some weenies!
Hmmm. This same laser could be focused on a tank or artillery piece (soldiers could likely run away in time to avoid serious injury unless hit in an eye.) Is the true military land ray gun now here?
HAY BUDDY GOT A MATCH?
Lets test this in Iraq.
Field Demo Testing.
Have Beam on wide arc.
Indirect burn out hidden snipers. etc.
Nice.
Save Lives & money.
Good R&D
or FT Irwin CA.