RustyBattleship

If it is an ammo drum, they probably just didn't bother to take it out. Most likely it's some motor system that fit just right in there.

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Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

Dreadnought

What do you think Mr. L. One fore One aft both Port and Starboard? I want one.

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Tin Man

Rusty` got it, just about!

It is indeed the Laser Area Defence System. It is based on a solid state fibre laser of some 20 kW. It isn`t a pulsed laser, the beam is held on target constantly until it is ruptured. Talk is of a range of 550 yds. A real deal ship mounted system is 2 years away according to Raytheon. They will need a hell of a lot more power than 20 kW to give it a decent range. I guess that is what Integrated electric propulsion is for then! The box on top of the Phalanx mount is the actual laser.

I am not convinced they can overcome dust/fog/humidity issues though...
Both Northrop and Raytheon are big players in these types of weapons nowadays, along with TRW etc.. Sandia lab`and Lauwrence Liv` probably do a bit of work as well!

A Laser Phalanx?
Lasers go to war | www.azstarnet.com ®
Raytheon Tests New Laser Weapon

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RustyBattleship

550 yards is a little too close for me. Especially since the standard 20mm Phalanx has a far greater range but is programmed not to open fire until the target is 1,850 meters (2,000 yards) incoming.

I uploaded a real player news report to TopHatter of a Laser not only shooting down missiles but blowing up incoming 8 inch artillery shells also.

I don't know how to upload this kind of stuff but it really is amazing that we have a Buck Rogers type of "Ray Gun" now.

Or is it a Star Wars "Blaster"?

Maybe a Star Trek "Phaser"?

Tin Man

550 yards would increase pucker factor, the LADS is really aimed at replacing Counter Rocket-Mortar Phalanx, land based systems.

A 100kW system would give a ship based CIWS an effective range of about 3 times that of Phalanx, according to some sources.
It is exciting, the technical problems look pretty tough though.

Rusty`, would love to see those videos you have of the test! If they were from a site, you could post the link or put it on Youtube? I don`t know if this forum has a facility for video upload. If Rochenhost have a video player inbuilt to run video attachments, it would be much like uploading a picture, the player automatically popping up in a window within a post. I am not sure if the site does this....

Phaser or Blaster? I prefer "Disruptor", sounds a bit meaner

Dreadnought

Wow, 550 yards that is way to close. That missle will strike with approx 2.5-3 seconds. I hope that laser is not only fast but extremely powerful and reliable. Myself I would install multiple Phalanx cannons down the sides of the ship fore and aft and increase its standard load out time from 4,500 rounds per minute and make it capable of several (5) minutes worth of concentrated 20mm gatling fire. Make it its own magazine if you have to but atleast 5 solid minutes of concentrated fire from eack mount to protect the ship and faster drum or mag reloads instead of 30 min to 45 min for reloads to protect from mulitple inbounds.

Phalanx is simplicity it only requires minimal electric from its host and cooling water for the mount and its radar/s.

I wonder how much current that pulse laser draws under load.

Silent Hunter

24 hours past, so:

What was USS Triton designed to do?

Albany Rifles

Nuclear radar picket submarine

She was the first submarine to cirumnavigate the globe submerged.

Adn she was commanded by a great WW II submariner and author Ed Beach


Submarine Photo Index

Attached Images

0858619.jpg (44.2 KB, 38 views)

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Silent Hunter

Correct!

Albany Rifles

What was the importance of Mound City?

Tin Man

I will try this one...

Union gunboat USS Mound City (iron clad steamer)took the single most destructive shot of the Civil war. It took fire from a confederate shore battery and a boiler exploded. This single shot killed almost 130 men. White River, June 17th, 1862?

Seems more unfortunate than important though!

Albany Rifles

Not quite what I was looking for but I will take it.

Mound City was the lead gunboat in a class of river gunboats used in the American Civil War along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. It was nemed for the city where they were built in southern
Illinois, Mound City.

Tin Man...all yours.

Tin Man

You are very gracious sir!

An easy one.

Which allied aircraft accounted for the most axis shipping destroyed in WWII in terms of tonnage ?

What was the total tonnage figure ? A ballpark figure will do.

glyn

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Tin Man

You would be correct sir!
What of part two of my question?