Status of MIRACL laser system?

[Thomas J. Paladino Jr.]

Does anyone know the latest on the MIRACL laser? I know that it was
test-fired in 1997 for the ASAT role, but has anything else come of it? Is
it still being developed as an ASAT weapon or is there any other use for it
now?

[William Baird]

"Thomas J. Paladino Jr." > wrote in message

> Does anyone know the latest on the MIRACL laser? I know that it was
> test-fired in 1997 for the ASAT role, but has anything else come of it? Is
> it still being developed as an ASAT weapon or is there any other use for it
> now?

MIRACL is a very /old/ system. http://helstf-www.wsmr.army.mil/miracl.htm
states it lased in /1980/.

Look here: http://helstf-www.wsmr.army.mil/ for other info about HELSTF
where MIRACL resides.

There is a bunch of contact information there.

You really want to be following the THEL (Tactical High Energy Laser),
MTHEL (Mobile THEL), and SSL (Solid state laser) programs. Especially
that last one. (http://helstf-www.wsmr.army.mil/sshcl.htm &
http://www.llnl.gov/nif/lst/helstf.html). Raytheon & others are working
on those.

Chemical lasers are a technological deadend for the Army, IMNSHO.
MIRACL and THEL use frickin FLOURINE! All you need is an arty
round to send some shrapnel through a tank. Then kiss the whole
system and all your troops in a radius g'bye. Flourine burns
concrete, steel, plastics, etc. You can't dump water on it
(produces hydroflouric acid) and standard fire retardants just
feed it. AFAIK, you just have to let it burn...:S

Will
exHELSTFer: traded death rays for skynet, ahem, lasers for supercomputers

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