There is a growing problem of the use by anti-USA forces using small laser devices to disrupt USA military flights in place like Afghanistan and other areas in the Middle East, similar to the problems with Civilian aircraft in the USA affecting operations and possibly blind or injure the eyes of pilots. Here is an article in the WSJ (MSN.com news page version) about this growing problem for USA military pilots:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/la ... li=BBnb7Kz
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- WIederling
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Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
The Taliban sure is getting desperate.
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- WIederling
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Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
TWA772LR wrote:The Taliban sure is getting desperate.
Imagine the karma points for using a real American high power laser diode for small money.
ref: https://www.laserpointerpro.com/de/ukin ... -3567.html
Does that thing really radiate 30W coherent laser light for a piddling $100 ?
Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
TWA772LR wrote:The Taliban sure is getting desperate.
The issue certainly isn't new, aircrew have been dealing with this in the Middle East for a long period of time, mostly out of Afghanistan/Iraq though. While the small lasers are a nuisance some of the more powerful green lasers certainly range into the 3B category, so potentially hazardous to eyes even at significant range.
Laser protection for pilots have been around for awhile and several militaries have spent a decent amount of money trying to develop adequate safety systems such as the following, https://newatlas.com/laser-protection-spectacles/24543/
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- Planeflyer
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Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
WIederling wrote:Hmm. blowback?
Like clockwork you are in your predictability.
The consequences of having an actual functioning AF that is in good use killing bad guys.
Time for a laser homing missle so we can blow out the blowback.
Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
TWA772LR wrote:The Taliban sure is getting desperate.
When in war you use what you can, particularly if it is cheap for you and causes a big impact on your enemy.
OTS lasers are supposed to be collimated, meaning the beam comes out like a cone shape and therefore the power density is well within safe limits within a certain distance of the emission. To be damaging to the human eye (as in causing rod/cone damage before the human blink response kicks in), you need power and beam shaping. Such optics resemble a lab setup, though, and not very usable in Afghanistan (dust and rough handling being big enemies to laser optics, and Afghanistan supplies plenty of both).
Hopefully the Taliban is not figuring out how to shape the beam for that, but then...why? If an unmodified laser causes the flight to divert or a mission to be scrubbed and your enemy senses the urge to pour many millions of dollars into the toilet to block your $20 part...your job is done.
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- WIederling
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Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
Planeflyer wrote:WIederling wrote:Hmm. blowback?
Like clockwork you are in your predictability.
The consequences of having an actual functioning AF that is in good use killing bad guys.
Time for a laser homing missle so we can blow out the blowback.
That worked so well in past times.
and
it is quite open if anybody in this is a good guy.
Nice to see that some cannot move beyond seeing thing as tribal competition
with "good" being meaningless beyond referencing "us".
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- WIederling
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Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
smithbs wrote:To be damaging to the human eye (as in causing rod/cone damage before the human blink response kicks in), you need power and beam shaping. Such optics resemble a lab setup, though, and not very usable in Afghanistan (dust and rough handling being big enemies to laser optics, and Afghanistan supplies plenty of both).
Have you ever had meaningful contact with a laser ?
Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
Planeflyer wrote:WIederling wrote:Hmm. blowback?
Like clockwork you are in your predictability.
The consequences of having an actual functioning AF that is in good use killing bad guys.
Time for a laser homing missle so we can blow out the blowback.
I was thinking about that - like a baby HARM missile except for lasers haha.
They can laser-designate themselves!
Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
WIederling wrote:smithbs wrote:To be damaging to the human eye (as in causing rod/cone damage before the human blink response kicks in), you need power and beam shaping. Such optics resemble a lab setup, though, and not very usable in Afghanistan (dust and rough handling being big enemies to laser optics, and Afghanistan supplies plenty of both).
Have you ever had meaningful contact with a laser ?
I used to be a laser engineer - or at least for the electronic controls side. And I have no blind spots, thankfully.
Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
This is likely the beginning, high powered laser components continue to become more energy efficient and more powerful.
China has always wanted a laser based dazzler to cripple an army on the battlefield but from all accounts is wary of the perception that testing and deployment would entail.
China has always wanted a laser based dazzler to cripple an army on the battlefield but from all accounts is wary of the perception that testing and deployment would entail.
Re: Lazer lights affecting US military flights in Afganistan, other ME areas
WIederling wrote:TWA772LR wrote:The Taliban sure is getting desperate.
Imagine the karma points for using a real American high power laser diode for small money.
ref: https://www.laserpointerpro.com/de/ukin ... -3567.html
Does that thing really radiate 30W coherent laser light for a piddling $100 ?
If the Tliban lets someone collect a few thousand and spreads them out over thousands of boys with the message they can be soldiers fighting for their homeland & Allah.. Not unlikely at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNQslRUaAuc
But apparently the most dangerous waepon is local populations dancing in the streets, making music, having young beautifull spokespeople and Fox can't keep up with the social media. The public gets confused & starts to wondering who are the good & bad guys. "What the h.ll are we doing there" kind of fakenews, real nasty..
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