A few months from now, Peter Anthony Schlesinger hopes to zap a laser beam at a couple of chickens or other animals in a cage a few dozen yards away.
If all goes as planned, the chickens will be frozen in mid-cluck, their leg and wing muscles paralyzed by an electrical charge created by the beam, even as their heart and lungs function normally.
Among those most interested in the outcome will be officials at the Pentagon, who helped fund Schlesinger’s work and are looking at this type of device to do a lot more than just zap a chicken.
Devices like these, known as directed-energy weapons, could be used to fight wars in coming years.
I read something a few months ago about a laser cannon for Aircraft use but its still in experamental phase. may be man portable energy weapons will follow afterwords..
USA and israel developed a system which takes out shells in mid air with a laser. Looked pretty cooled firing howitzers which being melted in mid air. Also so a prgoram asa kid where americans launching metal discs using a laser. Focused beams after hitting discs like a satelite dish and it burnt the air or something so picked up speed.
Nuclear missiles aren't very effective when they aren't able to launch. Unfortunately while launches can be detected and in the future disrupted those with smaller nukes (suitcase nukes) that are remotely set off can avoid such detection.
The thought of being able to assassinate someone or something (nukes) from a space-based weapon isn't right around the corner, but it is around the corner.