Boeing demonstrates a Hummer-mounted laser weapon

We first heard of Boeing's plan to mount a laser on a Humvee in July, but we weren't expecting results so soon -- yet here we are just a few months later and the company is already blowing stuff up with a truck-based "directed energy weapon." The one-kilowatt laser is retrofitted on Boeing's existing Humvee-mounted Avenger missile system, and tests have already demonstrated its effectiveness at taking out IEDs from a safe distance. More excitingly for the boom-boom crowd, the Laser Avenger has also managed to eliminate grounded UAVs, and Boeing says it's working on being able to target low-flying drones as well. That's all well and good, but we just want to know: how is it at making popcorn?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 3:56PM]

stop humping the frickin laser

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 3:57PM]

fdgsdfg

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:26PM]

Sorry about that. Either Yahoo or Engadget is acting funny and I tried to send another test comment to "push" my previous one through. ...an experiment that didn't work.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 3:58PM]

But are they working on being able to target low-growling dogs as well? I know a jack russell in my neighborhood that they could use as a test target...

And yes, he deserves it.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:09PM]

Little known fact:

Lead engineer on this project was a guy named Alan Parsons.

Get it? Huh? Huh?

[peter0328 Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:16PM]

Anyone notice how the laser and the smoke effects look like the laser explosion in the first Halo Short?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:43PM]

Have you seen the videos of IEDs floating around on the web? They aren't just little explosions. These things blast TANKS into the air. Sure the Tanks and Humvees can survive them, but the people sitting inside are killed or severely injured from the concussion forces. On the radio, I listened to an interview with a war vet who received brain damage from an IED knocking his humvee around. He has trouble doing the most basic motor functions now...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:33PM]

This is so cool. All you need now is a large spinning mirror and you could vaporize a human target from space!


Would you classify that a launch problem or a design problem?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 5:10PM]

Hammer of Dawn Baby!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 5:45PM]

Don't you mean 'Crossbow'?

[TIMMAH Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:39PM]

"What about that time we found you in your underwear with that big bowl of jello?"

"Hey it was hot and I was hungry okay?"

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:50PM]

Anyone else picturing the laser humvee from C&C generals?

[adammm Posted Oct 18th 2007 5:33PM]

"Oh my God, Kent put his name on his license plate."
"I know, my mom does the same thing with my underwear..."
"Your mother puts license plates on your underwear? How do you sit?"

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 5:41PM]

What ever happened to the BFG?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 11:56AM]

Chris Knight: So, if there's anything I can do for you, or, more to the point, to you, you just let me know.
Susan: Can you hammer a six-inch spike through a board with your penis?
Chris Knight: Not right now.
Susan: A girl's gotta have her standards.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 6:34PM]

It's a moral imperative!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 6:48PM]

Chris: "Have you ever seen a body like this before in your life?"
Defense Contractor: "She happens to be my daughter!"
Chris: "Well, in that case, I guess you have"

Dr. Hathoway: "Chris, I want to see more of you in the lab"
Chris: "Fine, I'll gain weight"

Bodie: He said he didn't feel like it. And I said, you'd better! And he said, or what? And I said, or else you're gonna be in trouble. And he said jam it.
Professor Hathaway: That's a wonderful story, Bodie. I noticed you've stopped stuttering.
Bodie: I've been giving myself shock treatments.
Professor Hathaway: Up the voltage.

Professor Hathaway: What's that smell?
Chris Knight: [sniffs under armpit] Must be the dog, sir.
Professor Hathaway: That's popcorn.
Chris Knight: Yes sir, I know...
Professor Hathaway: Well, get it away from me! I hate popcorn! I can't stand popcorn!
Chris Knight: [Chris drops the bag of popcorn on the steps] Good. Now I know what to get you for your birthday.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2007 8:35PM]

Hummers? You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!

[nikster Posted Oct 18th 2007 8:24PM]

A "1 Kilowatt laser"? My small-ish vacuum has 1400 watts, or 1.4 kilowatts.

Typo or is 1KW really enough to do some serious damage?

[Riles Posted Oct 19th 2007 10:38AM]

Mitch: You know, something strange happened to me this morning...
Chris: Was it a dream where you see yourself in sort of sun god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?
Mitch: No
Chris: Why am I the only one that has that dream?

[moschops Posted Oct 28th 2007 3:07PM]

I think the military already has a weapon that will both destroy things from a distance - its called a minigun - just aim and fire, no batteries needed. Plus the target can't hold up a mirror and aim the bullets right back at you... doh!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2007 4:24PM]

I welcome our railgun-toting hummer overlords.

Can't wait to see what it does for crowd control. When I'm not in the crowd that is.