Laser Tasers

[Johnny Pneumatic]

I had a thread about the threat of lethally modded tetanization beam weapons .
Well, here's the org. that's working on the non-lethal ones.
How long after they enter service do you wager the U.S. Military will have a company create a lethal version? Really quick I'd bet.
Bullets can't top a 2km, dead accurate kill. Power the thing with a tesla coil, a b*tchin' tesla coil, and a Zeus Gun, as I've named them, could mow down troops like a minigun.

 

[EdipisReks]

been a while since the US military really faced troops.

 

[Johnny Pneumatic]

been a while since the US military really faced troops.

This isn't true. Even if it were, helicopters, UAVs and the robotic weapons being worked on could be equiped with these things then.

 

[Bikewer]

Interesting.... I use a Taser; we have been issued them for about 6 months now. No uses as yet. Ours use wires, and are the type familiar to most folks.

I can see where the UV laser could work to provide a channel for the type of electrical discharge that the Taser uses.
This is a very high-voltage charge at very low amperage, designed to oscillate at a frequency that will overload skeletal muscle signal. The result is a massive "charley-horse" of the involved musculature. Quite effective in almost all cases, and also quite harmless. A number of deaths have occurred to individuals who have been Tasered, but in all case that have been examined the cause of death has been cocaine or other drug intoxication. (Out-of-control drugees being the prime target for Tasering...)

Could a lethal charge of electricity be directed by this means?
Lethality implies a much higher amperage, and I (admittedly not an electrical engineer!) would think this would prove difficult. Directed lightning, as it were.

 

[geni]

Bullets can't top a 2km, dead accurate kill.

They can under the right condiotions and modern warfair doesn't really require you to be able to do this.

 

[Bikewer]

In order to carry a lethal jolt of electricity for 2K, you'd need pretty potent containment.

I can imagine a defense- every trooper equipped with a grounding strap.....

 

[Soapy Sam]

Wise man with laser, he say-"Never get on other side of high wall from enemy with half brick."

 

[lylfyl]

...a Zeus Gun, as I've named them, could mow down troops like a minigun.

But will it stop the Phantoms without harming Gaia?

 

[Johnny Pneumatic]

Re: Re: Laser Tasers

They can under the right condiotions and modern warfair doesn't really require you to be able to do this.

Or in other words, no wind.
Snipers aren't used in modern warfare and assasination?

 

[crimresearch]

I had a thread about the threat of lethally modded tetanization beam weapons .
Well, here's the org. that's working on the non-lethal ones.
How long after they enter service do you wager the U.S. Military will have a company create a lethal version? Really quick I'd bet....

Not as quickly as crooks will get their hands on them.

 

[Hellbound]

Re: Re: Re: Laser Tasers

Or in other words, no wind.
Snipers aren't used in modern warfare and assasination?

Snipers are used, but even then a 2km target is a rarity...usually not a lot of use for it. At distances that large, it's much easier to use artillery, tanks, and similar equipment. The longest sniper shot on record is about a mile and a half, IIRC. It's not so much a lack of weapon capability as a lack of need. It's rare that you'll have clear terrain for that distance, and a clean shot. Not to mention that at these distances even small changes to trajectory translate into huge differences at the target.

Fianlly, add to all this that UV does relatively poorly when traversing atmosphere, and the farther distance you go the less coherent (and, consequently, less accurate and less powerful) your shot is going to be.

Finally, we already have weapons capable of two kilometer shots, using enhanced optics that integrate target motion, shooter motion, wind, temperature, air density, elevation, light conditions, and numerous other factors into a digital display that adjust the targeting reticle to compensate. While these weapons would provide an improvement to that accuracy, I doubt it would be cost effective.

Basically, the strikes against such a system currently are:

Requires Line of Sight to target (UV beam and electrical discharge can be stopped even by glass).

Most sniper shots are at 300 to 700 meters, rarely is there a need for longer shots.

The beam will degrade heavily in atmosphere, thus calling into question the accuracy and effectiveness at range.

Accuracy at range is already achieved using supplementary systems.

The cost of developing, producing, and powering such a system is not reasonable considering the limited mission and very slight possible improvements over conventional weapons.

That's just my take on it, currently. I'm not an expert, so I could well be wrong on several key points, however, I just don't see an effective cost-to-benefit ratio for such a project. To make it lethal you'll increase size and power requirements tremendously...systems using magnetics or direct lasers are already being developed within this size range, which eliminates the need for a system that requires both laser and electrical discharge. Finally, non-lethal systems are already developed that have wide area capabilities, and don't require such a huge power source for effectiveness (microwave beam comes to mind). The primary use of non-lethal arms is crowd control, which generally (again) will not require a 2km range.

 

[jmercer]

And a defense would be fairly easy to construct, too. All you'd need is to put up some kind of screen (aerosol, smoke, whatever) that was capable of scattering the laser beams so they'd lose coherency.