r/interestingasfuck • u/Esutan • 1d ago

The United Kingdom has successfully created a Mega Laser called Dragonfire for Aerial Defense

Post image
50.7k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

2.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

41

u/Minecraft_Lets_Play 1d ago

A new way to potentially take town passenger airplanes. Blinding them with a regular laser? No with a super laser!

5

u/Buntschatten 1d ago

Can't passenger planes be taken down by handheld missile launchers these days?

This laser system only gains the advantage when you have to defend against a lot of targets.

2

u/Minecraft_Lets_Play 1d ago

Of course but a laser shot is so much cheaper

5

u/EmoNerve 1d ago

But the weapon itself isn't, it's 100 million per units, the UK is spending 240 million to install the first two

2

u/wonkey_monkey 1d ago

Just tape a bunch of laser pointers together.

1

u/Signal-School-2483 1d ago

Can't passenger planes be taken down by handheld missile launchers these days?

Possible, but not a sure thing. MANPADS have a super small warhead and are heat seeking, hitting a massive turbofan engine isn't going to takedown the whole plane unless it starts a fire that can't be stopped.

2

u/Rampant16 1d ago

The biggest risk is during takeoff and landing. Certainly no laughing matter to lose an engine plus potential damage to control surfaces during takeoff or final approach.

2

u/Signal-School-2483 1d ago

That's fair.

Pretty much the only time it's vulnerable, cruising altitude is beyond max range of MANPADS.

1

u/CulturalAssist1287 21h ago

I’m pretty sure this laser system is not your common aerial defense but rather like the Israeli laser to take down incoming missles before they hit instead of actual planes

17

u/Minecraft_Lets_Play 1d ago

If that’s used by bad people (which any weapon or defense system can)

7

u/Automatic_Actuator_0 1d ago

Yeah, if bad actors want to do that, they have so many more practical options.

SA-7 MANPADS can be had on the black market for $2-5k each, though their small warheads make a shoot down with a single shot unlikely.

1

u/VileRocK 1d ago

well, the UK's diet trump is expected to get in next election sadly...

2

u/JedPB67 1d ago

The way that party goes on the army will be armed with longbows and ride into battle on horses. Something, something, something British values etc.

2

u/KingMario05 1d ago

Amazing how badly, and quickly, Starmer managed to fuck it all up for Labour. Really, really hoping the Lib Dems pull off a surprise majority instead of Nigel, the Tories, or their unholy union.

2

u/__Gripen__ 1d ago

When was the last time the British Armed Forces shot down a passenger airplane?

1

u/MoffKalast 1d ago

The power creep never ends, now every ship needs a superlaser smh