[Torg] TECH: Battlefield Lasers by 2020?

[Kansas Jim]

Jasyn Jones wrote:

> http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/exclusive-holy-.html

I wonder what "battlefield strength" translates to in this case,
how much damage that actually means. It mentions possible use in
shooting down rockets aimed at a destroyer but that's not much of
a clue. I know lasers the Air Force is designing for similar
purposes are intended to work by rupturing the rocket body and
causing the fuel to ignite or at least explosively vent, destroying
it that way rather than the laser blasting it into oblivion in the
fashion sci-fi has taught us lasers work.

Running some numbers quickly though 3G^3 and making some wild
guesses on things the article doesn't mention, it looks like
a 100 kilowatt laser could have a DV up around 27, which coincidentally
enough is the DV of the Tech 24 Sparrowhawk laser weapon in the Kanawa
Heavy Weapons Catalog. Lucky guess by someone at WEG?

-- 
Kansas Jim, Torg guru (ksjim (at) sdc (dot) org)
Torg website: http://www.sdc.org/~ksjim/index.html