Friday, February 23, 2007

Record power for military laser

A laser developed for military use is a few steps away from hitting a power threshold thought necessary to turn it into a battlefield weapon.

The Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL) has achieved 67 kilowatts (kW) of average power in the laboratory.

It could take only a further six to eight months to break the "magic" 100kW mark required for the battlefield, the project's chief scientist told the BBC.

About time! This will end up making things VERY interesting. The cost per shot is going to be less than $1000. In fact, it will be only the cost of amoratizing the weapon and the cost of diesel to provide energy. That will put it down to less than $100. That makes the economic equation for warfare...ineresting.

Now they need to start miniaturizing this. :D

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