• froztbyte@awful.systems
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    15 hours ago

    this is a remarkably interesting thing with a surprisingly narrow scope. I don’t know mil hardware/history well enough so I’m curious: would such opto-electric ewar actually have been a meaningful capability?

    • skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de
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      14 hours ago

      it was ridiculously expensive and almost useless. it’s a tank sized dazzler, and it’s also very visible to everyone when in use

      today we have more powerful lasers that are also more compact, lighter and more efficient. i heard there’s some use in ground based missile defense, and that even some combat shootdowns happened, but it’s still highly experimental and needs power source. fine on CVN, less so on land

      here you have perun video on this topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGzL3fZgPZY

      i think there’s also a kind of anti-IR guided anti-aircraft missile thing that consists of IR laser that is supposed to burn its sensors, and it might be mounted on some western jets. it’s also much closer range and not sure if it’s a thing. it’s also much easier than burning missile part that is not a sensor, like in GBAD scenario