Potential defense applications of free electron lasers.
Armada International › Vol. 13 Nbr. 4, August 1989
Linked as:
Summary
Includes related article
See the full content of this document
Extract
Potential defense applications of free electron lasers.
Potential Defence Applications of Free Electron Lasers
The history of science abounds with examples of discoveries that at the time appeared to have no practical relevance to progress. They were often regarded as mere toys or at best as theoretically "interesting" experiments until further studies revealed them to be major breakthroughs. Such an event took place in 1960 in the research laboratories of Hughes Aircraft Company when the first working laser was invented. Initially, the laser was regarded as an interesting curiosity which permitted scientists to generate light flashes at intensities 10 000 times stronger than hitherto possible. Nobody then could have predicted the impact of this invention on virtually every level of human existence. It serves now in manufacturing, surveying, communications, in medicine and last but not least in defence. Here, it proved to be a revolutionary method of improving the accuracy of tactical weapons in the form of laser rangefinders, target illuminators or missile guidance systems...See the full content of this document
Sponsored links
