"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 he 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

--
William P Baird Do you know why the road less traveled by
Speaking for me has so few explorers? Normally, there
Home: anzha@hotmail is something big, mean, with very sharp
Work: wbaird@nersc teeth - and quite the appetite! - waiting
Add .com/.gov somewhere along its dark and twisty bends.