TIS-1 Gasdynamic Laser Weapon

[Dr Mordrid]

Found this cruising the 'net today;

...the TIS-1 will provide a beam of 10.6 micrometer wavelength laser light for a duration of 0.35 seconds with a net energy output to target of approximately 1.9 kW. The TIS-1 is capable of delivering up to 170 bursts per minute on fully automatic mode, or one burst per trigger release for precision sniping. Effective range of the TIS-1 is dependent upon dispersion of the 1.3mm diameter laser beam over distance and is estimated at excess of 1500 meters. Powered by a Po-210 thermal energy source, the TIS-1 concept provides a practical, fieldable directed energy weapon.

The TIS-1 Gasdynamic Laser Weapon System Offers
Numerous Significant Advantages Over Competing Systems
Including:

• A Totally Integrated, Stand-Alone Personal Tactical Weapon
System For the Individual Light Fighter

• A Concise, Directed Lethal Mechanism Without Dispersion
or Course Deviation For Over 1500 Meters

• A System that Contains An Integrated High Energy Density
Power Source (Po-210) That Provides Continuous Energy, And
ResultantWeapons Use, For Over 60 Days

• A Weapon That Delivers a Lethal Beam In The Millisecond
Time-Frame Capable of Penetrating Medium Material Targets
In All Atmospheres and Operational Environments

• A System That Is Fully Compatible With Existing Training
Techniques and M16/M4 Accessories (Including M203
Grenade Launchers, etc.) As Well As Next Generation Target
Distinguish/Designation Systems.

• A System That is Tactically Superior To All Future Weapon
Systems Potential US/NATO Adversaries Will Ever Consider
Developing, Derived Solely From US Research/Technology.

Dr. Mordrid

[Tjalfe]

and here is the defence against such

it is estimated that the weapon will
deliver a recoil force of approximately 90lbs in the forward direction upon discharge, thereby requiring the
employment of a recoil alleviation/mitigation system.

holy smokes, that is some powerfull kickback from what is bascially a flashlight

http://www.defensereview.com/352003/TIS1.pdf

[Dr Mordrid]

Not really. Mirrors work in theory but not in practice. ANY slight imperfection; scratches, dirt, dust, whatever....and the point of impact gets fried. With enough power just the ionized air in front of the impact point can create said imperfections by heat or shock wave.

I would imagine the kickback is due to the expulsion of the hypersonic gas.

Dr. Mordrid

[Tjalfe]

Not really. Mirrors work in theory but not in practice. ANY slight imperfection; scratches, dirt, dust, whatever....and the point of impact gets fried. With enough power just the ionized air in front of the impact point can create said imperfections by heat or shock wave.

I would imagine the kickback is due to the expulsion of the hypersonic gas.

Dr. Mordrid

There are several mirrors in the laser itself, so I am sure it would be fairly effective. Not terribly stealthy though, being dressed in mirrors

so any smudge on the lens in front of the laser would cause the rifle to blow up, or at least take out said lens?

[Dr Mordrid]

If I were designing it I'd put in a small shutter to protect the lens between firings, but they may have other solutions.

Dr. Mordrid

[Dilitante1]

But it dont look like this....yet

[TnT]

Kind of scary in the future to know that you'd have a hole in your body in pretty much an instant. Don't get the dramatic death scene that you'd get after being stabbed or shot.

The lasers in Star Wars suck. They actually had the technology to slow down light and used it in their guns!

[gt40]

I would think that a laser would generate enough heat on the thin lining on the back of a standard mirror to blow right thru the coating before it reflected back towards the gun.

[agallag]

The lasers in Star Wars suck. They actually had the technology to slow down light and used it in their guns!

But they didn't have Lasers in Star Wars, they had Blasters!

[Marshmallowman]

The mirror has to be reflective at the fequency of the laser, I think 10.um is in the middle of the infrared band, so you need a "heat mirror", but most lasers have several "modes" of operation so you might be able to swicth between a couple of frequeincies making it harder to pick the right kind of mirror.
Probaly easier enough to coat a vehicle with such a coating, though it might stand out enough a bit. But I don't think I have seen anything that would work for people.

While I would think it would leave "clean" wounds, it not a weapon I am keen to see in action. Would you like carrying around a very active lump of radioactive polonium, if the weapon took a hit, every one in the immediate area would probably get a nice dose.

Also with a 60 day lifetime, you would expect the rate of fire and intensity to reduce significantly overe that period from what it waqs to start with.

Its not really something I want to see in action, all the new weapons need pretty advanced tech to develop, but once develped any tin pot country can get/make them. You have to ask you self, since this stuff will come back to bite you in the future, is it a good idea to develop these things for you enemies. (and this includes planes...etc)

[Gurm]

G.I. JOE!

Y'know, with all the LASERS floating around in the air during a battle between the Joes and COBRA, isn't it amazing that not once did someone die, in that entire series?

[gt40]

well, you can't do much damage with a Helium-Neon laser

[Fluff]

Could this be used to kill turkeys in a humane manner?

[VJ]

Ah, the first step towards....

"Frikkin' sharks with frikkin' lasers on their heads! Everybody deservers a warm meal!"
(from: Austin Powers)


Seriously: I wonder how long it can fire. There is a liquid cooling system, so there are bound to be limitations... "Rats, I can't fire, my laser is too hot"


Jörg

[Umfriend]

The real problem with this tech is that as soon as it becomes available to parts of the public, proof of crimes will become harder as the lasers will not have casings/bullets that can be tracked to the weapon they were fired with.

I want one