USN laser weapon vid

[youtube:e0k3avtl]![/youtube:e0k3avtl]

Saw that on a news program. It is really impressive, particularly when the cost of the use is less than one dollar per kill shot compared to $70,000 per Hellfire missile.

In clear weather seems promising. I went to sea for over 20 years......rarely clear as I recall. I take a missile or a 5 inch also.

deltamrey wrote: In clear weather seems promising. I went to sea for over 20 years......rarely clear as I recall. I take a missile or a 5 inch also.

I remember lots of clear weather especially in the IO. I do agree that we would not want to depend on a weapon that was weather dependant.

Neat but not a match for the SM-3.

[youtube:38825q3r][/youtube:38825q3r]

5/10/2012 - Second-Generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS LAKE ERIE (CG 70) successfully conducted a flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, resulting in the first intercept of a short-range ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Navy's newest Missile Defense interceptor, the Standard Missile -- 3 (SM-3) Block 1B. At 8:18 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (2:18 a.m. EDT May 10) the target missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, located on Kauai, Hawaii. The target flew on a northwesterly trajectory towards a broad ocean area of the Pacific Ocean. Following target launch, the USS LAKE ERIE detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar. The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis BMD 4.0.1 weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB interceptor. The USS LAKE ERIE continued to track the target and sent trajectory information to the SM-3 Block IB interceptor in-flight. The SM-3 maneuvered to a point in space, as designated by the fire control solution, and released its kinetic warhead. The kinetic warhead acquired the target, diverted into its path, and, using only the force of a direct impact, engaged and destroyed the threat in a hit-to-kill intercept. Today's event, designated Flight Test Standard Missile-16 (FTM-16) Event 2a, was the first successful live fire intercept test of the SM-3 Block IB interceptor and the second-generation Aegis BMD 4.0.1 weapon system.

:thumbsup: