Modern Warfare Just Changed Forever Laser Weapons are Ready for Use TODAYBy Matt Agorist Since the days of Nikola Tesla, and his plans of a death ray, the up-and-coming military industrial complex has salivated over the idea of direct energy weapons. For pennies, the US could lay waste to their enemies instead of using highly expensive missile systems. However, this technology and the resources to build it remained elusive until now. Directed energy weapons (DEWs) are systems that emit energy without the means of a projectile, and can use visible light, infra-red or microwave radiation, with lethal effects. The weapons are said to be particularly useful for targeting large numbers of targets with high precision, and some estimates put the cost of each shot of directed energy at just $1. The technologies now exist, said Paul Shattuck, company director for Directed Energy Systems. They can be packaged into a size, weight, power and thermal which can be fit onto relevant tactical platforms, whether its a ship, whether its a ground vehicle or whether its an airborne platform. So everything exists today, he said, its just a question of the desire and when is that going to occur. Lockheed Martin has already shown the deadly accuracy of these weapons in tests. In milliseconds, one of their 30 KW laser weapons will melt a hole through solid steel. When Defense News asked Lockheed Martin if they came to them tomorrow and asked for a laser weapon in the 30 KW range, the company said yes. According to Defense News, that doesnt mean that giant city-melting lasers are on their way. Right now, the weapons are limited to the 15-30 KW scale; going much further requires figuring out how to deal with atmospheric interference, an issue which becomes more complicated with weapons mounted on airborne systems. However, Lockheed said that making a larger laser is similar to building out computer servers Once you figure out how to connect them all, you can add more power by adding another server. The same is true for the laser weapons: you add more power slots into the rack and increase its power. Just last year, the company held a demonstration at which they took out unmanned systems from over a mile away, melted a car engine, and sank a boat. While they have only mastered the 30 KW system, Lockheed Martin says they are on track to deliver a 60 KW laser for the Army by the end of the year. On one side of the issue, there is a bit of relief when taking into account the collateral damage associated with the U.S. militarys surgical drone strikes. However, the idea of such a powerful weapon in the hands of any government willing to go to war is terrifying. Imagine the deadly capabilities running rampant in Americas kill-happy police state. The CIA could target domestic terrorists from miles away and burn holes through their heads without the need for any due process. Militaries could silently target a nuclear reactor and cause a Chernobyl-type event in seconds, and no one would know who did it. Enemies of the state could be wiped out silently and simultaneously without any evidence of what happened. Planes could be zapped out of the sky. The dangers are limitless. Of course, the Pentagon is touting the defense capabilities of such weapons. However, with Americas track record in spreading death and destruction, the blacked-out apocalyptic sky is the limit. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin Matt Agorist is the co-founder of TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared. He is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Follow @MattAgorist DUHmericans never tire of finding new and efficient ways to kill. Actually, we seem to lately be finding new ways to keep the Pentagon accounting and weapon systems as inefficient and costly as possible. Which doesnt seem to affect the actual efficiency of the killing, so youre right even though youre wrong. Except for the laser. Which theyll find a way to make as expensive as possible anyway. That laser will be bundled free with annual military package for Israel. Ha ha good one Its our best export. Pssssst! not engine but hood of car and appears to be aluminum and paint scraped off I could have done the same damage with a kick-ass magnifying glass lol. Try it some time! Wont effect the US governments inability to win wars of choice. They dont win because the plan is to not win. You win by cashing in on the continuation. As long as the target stays still and has a dark surface, the laser works marginally well. Good idea! All that the enemy has to do is to paint his rocket with reflective paint, or get it chromeplated. American Death Ray will bounce back on the operator. ;-P These sorts of weapons just confirm how sick todays world is, with the United States leading the way in that sickness, as usual, for the past 70 years. The advantage of gunpowder is that a large quantity of stored chemical energy in a lightweight and compact form is ready for instant use. Laser weapons need a power source so heavy and bulky that they are limited to ships and land vehicles, with even putting them in aircraft problematic. Dont expect Buck Rogers-style handheld ray weapons anytime soon, perhaps never. I can remember when there was development work in the 80s on caseless (no brass) small arms ammunition that was supposed to be the hot new thing. Seen any lately? Didnt think so. They can talk all they want about how cheap laser weapons are per shot. Why doesnt anybody ever consider how cheap it is to just get along with other people and nations? But handheld laser torch (wicked laser) that burns paper and burns skin is commercially available. This military death ray prototype will also shrink in time. There might be manpack versions similar to a flamethrower. Thats okay, them civilians over there didnt need their eyesight anyway Wow Starwars. Always be a light that is .shininginthedark. You, would not know but the most advanced laser weapons are build by Rhine Metal Germany, the Brits tried to lay their hand on that company. This laser system doesnt need to be high electric powered. By the way Rhine Metal developed this with a Russian military company. Good we are even again. Mirrors defeat lasers. An EMP hit should make short work of that thing Lasers and accelerator guns (sometimes known as rail-guns although coil guns also exist) have been reasonably on the way for about a decade now. It wouldnt surprise me to learn that they had reached a sufficient maturity for front-line deployment. The energy needs are still immense, though. Ill be impressed when examples appear that dont need the powerplant of a capital ship to function. There are sizes that are hand held which fit into the James Bond scenarios of heart attack induced kills as one has to be at close range to administer the kill shot. The questions that need to be asked are those of origin as this is reversed engineered extraterrestrial technology like so many other new technologies like HAARP etc. The alien/military/industrial/complex is alive and well operating on your planet. Id like to know if Matt Agorists is part of the militarys public relations personnel. Sounds like he is trying to sell more fear. The technologies now exist?? This is only a portion of what this technology is capable of. Does anyone believe Lockheed Martin stating this is a prototype. Sadly, this is what was used on the WTC buildings. Now they will be able to burn folks alive how do they sleep at night. Perpetual death at $1.00 usd. Have laser will travel. Surprise? No, what do you think happened to a Malaysian jetliner that just disappeared in midflight? The bigger lasers are available and in use right now on a nuclear submarines which can stay submerged for months rise to the surface fire the laser and re-submerge without being seen on radar or by any other human being. Other countries are working on them as well. A power that could be used to transform the world by providing free energy for everyone is instead being turned into a weapon of mass destruction for the benefit of the few. think about it what would you do with free energy? I would feed people, free energy would heat and light my greenhouse even in the depths of winter with that I could propagate seeds and grow food year round. No more enslaving people to grow our food and ship it thousands of miles cheaper then I can grow it myself on the farm 