Upgraded Boeing Laser Cannon Zaps UAVs

Writing by Evan Ackerman on Tuesday, 27 of January , 2009 at 12:46 am

There aren’t a lot of details available on this, but Boeing has successfully tested a vehicle-portable laser system designed to destroy UAVs. The Laser Avenger was able to track and destroy three UAVs from an operationally significant (but unspecified) range, by burning a hole (over an unspecified period of time) in “a critical flight control element of the UAV, rendering the aircraft unflyable.” So, it sounds like this laser, which is probably a couple kilowatts, isn’t exactly vaporizing the UAVs on contact. But the big advantage is that the laser beam is invisible, so there’s no way to track the destruction of a UAV back to the Avenger platform.

Boeing says that UAVs are posing an increasing threat (whether direct or indirect) to US troops, which will make the Laser Avenger relevant in the near future. I hate to say it, but I think they’ve got a point. UAVs are by far the cheapest and safest way to monitor territory, and a bunch of other countries have sophisticated UAV recon systems of their own. It’s not that big of a step to put some basic but effective armament on these platforms (as we proved with the armed Predators), but even the unarmed drones are assets that military powers take, and deal with, quite seriously.

[ Boeing Press Release ] VIA [ GoRobotics ]

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Category: Military

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Comment by DriesDD

Made Friday, 20 of November , 2009 at 3:07 am

I’d assume it’s similar to Boeings 20-inch wide aircraft mounted 5 mile precision laser cannon…
http://www.popsci.com/node/19965
Some of the comments on that article are disturbing.
“If the Muslims eventually take over Europe through sheer numbers, North America will feel that much more grateful for having high-tech on their side.”

All these science fiction things like laser cannons and cyborgs and autonomous robots are coming true… Now I don’t know if we should feel safe when they’re in the hands of people who just love to incinerate people with a different religion. Sorry for bringing in politics, it’s more of an ethical idea. Think of the possibilties of this…