However, the problem is that smaller lasers are hard to develop for fighter jets. umm, it doesn't seem like you would need them for fighters. Just fly the big boys where you want to exclude fighters. Why play the game? Perhaps range is also an issue.
range with lasers will be limited to direct shot in a straight line, there is no way to bend the beam over a horizon like there is with missiles. so fly above the ground target and fire, or stationary to eliminate incoming projectiles. long range needs something else.
Ummm, if they somehow know it will be five years before they can make the lasers why can't they do it now?
Yes, I know it is basically line of sight but how long is the range through the diffusion of atmosphere? I am pretty sure we have airborne lasers now that work from large aircraft. The key word here is aircraft not space craft, so the fighter aircraft maybe needed because range from the big boys may not be sufficient due to atmospheric diffusion of the beam. The fighter air craft could close the range if they had one small enough, powerful enough to be effective when the range was closed. Zapping missiles with lasers from space platforms has been envisioned for 30 years. Zap the missile as it emerges from the atmosphere into space, or thin atmosphere.
I watched a documentary on the year 3000 and everybody wore identification chips in their hands which listed their personal information and what their job was. I think that would make background checks on everything really easy. You could get scanned as you walk into the grocery store, that way you don't have to worry about who is buying milk.
Good point. I'm sure there would be some degradation based on not only atmosphere but also airborne particles such as dust or water vapor (clouds). So yes, on a clear and perfect day perhaps one of the larger aircrafts could pinpoint from 15 miles up, but when the clouds roll in it's the fighter jet that would be able to fly below the weather.
Umm....are there any missles fired from jets that actually go that far? A jet at 3,000 feet would have a horizontal range of about 70 miles. I'd think the bigger issue would be how much energy the beam loses over that distance.
They already HAD it. We are getting yesterday's news. I am sure there is tech that exceeds this and will be used in case we face utter destruction. I think we as the general public know one tenth of one percent of what the government is doing. Thats OK
Fighter jets and pilot costs will be replaced by drones and newly graduated Ivy league students who pilot them..
