Good, good:
The reason they are not yet widely deployed is they do not yet work. There is progress to be sure, and they are somewhat effective in certain experimental conditions. But they are not far enough along to flip the math. It is also worth noting that the US is not in the lead in this technology. Several nations are on this development path.
A True Math Flipper
There is a different development that I am glad to see that will flip the math more than these laser weapons. Look into a company named Anduril and it's founder Palmer Luckey. They are a huge and much-needed disruptor in the defense world because they operate more like a Silicon Valley tech giant than a traditional, corrupt defense contractor.
For decades, the major contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, etc, have lobbied and influenced Congress and the Pentagon to give them billions to research and develop weapons. The process takes years and routinely includes cost overruns. It has become institutionalized for contractors to put their profits ahead of development speed and war fighter support.
Anduril is different. It uses its own private money to build finished products first. They then show up to the Pentagon and say, "We have 500 of these ready to ship today." They intentionally innovate to provide products that are highly effective, can be purchased at a fraction of the cost, and can be manufactured by local US machine shops in many cases. This US company brings high tech and common sense to the table in a way that greatly threatens the good old boys who have been fleecing US taxpayers for decades.
Until recently, the good old boys have used their political power and connections to mostly shut Anduril out of the US weapons procurement chain. But because the math has become so obscene, and because Anduril is ready to deliver, the Pentagon is turning to them in a big way now. It may well be that one of the most significant and welcome casualties of this war is the traditional military industrial complex.
Anduril's innovations include cheaper, smarter drones, hundreds of which can be controlled by one operator. They also offer autonomous "wingman jet fighters. These drones are designed to fly along side crewed jets to intercept threats or carry weapons. Currently the number is 2-8 drones per human pilot. Andril is working toward 100 drones per human pilot. The human pilot is the commander, telling his swarm of drones what to do and they are networked in ways to do amazing things. The pilot does not control the drones like a drone opearator. They are autonomous. He tells them what to do or what to look for, and they do it.
These "Anduril Fury" planes (drones) are half the size of a crewed jet fighter and they can be purchased at one-fourth the cost. Old way, two planes, one being the wingman. New way, one pilot and 4 wingmen at the same price.
This is just one example. The Anduril product line is astounding. If you are unfamiliar with it, it's worth a look.
If you do a search on YouTube, you will find numerous videos about these laser weapons, some of them several years old. There is nothing secret or new about these weapons. The inner technology may be classified, but the secret of their existence has been out for years.
The reason they are not yet widely deployed is they do not yet work. There is progress to be sure, and they are somewhat effective in certain experimental conditions. But they are not far enough along to flip the math. It is also worth noting that the US is not in the lead in this technology. Several nations are on this development path.
A True Math Flipper
There is a different development that I am glad to see that will flip the math more than these laser weapons. Look into a company named Anduril and it's founder Palmer Luckey. They are a huge and much-needed disruptor in the defense world because they operate more like a Silicon Valley tech giant than a traditional, corrupt defense contractor.
For decades, the major contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, etc, have lobbied and influenced Congress and the Pentagon to give them billions to research and develop weapons. The process takes years and routinely includes cost overruns. It has become institutionalized for contractors to put their profits ahead of development speed and war fighter support.
Anduril is different. It uses its own private money to build finished products first. They then show up to the Pentagon and say, "We have 500 of these ready to ship today." They intentionally innovate to provide products that are highly effective, can be purchased at a fraction of the cost, and can be manufactured by local US machine shops in many cases. This US company brings high tech and common sense to the table in a way that greatly threatens the good old boys who have been fleecing US taxpayers for decades.
Until recently, the good old boys have used their political power and connections to mostly shut Anduril out of the US weapons procurement chain. But because the math has become so obscene, and because Anduril is ready to deliver, the Pentagon is turning to them in a big way now. It may well be that one of the most significant and welcome casualties of this war is the traditional military industrial complex.
Anduril's innovations include cheaper, smarter drones, hundreds of which can be controlled by one operator. They also offer autonomous "wingman jet fighters. These drones are designed to fly along side crewed jets to intercept threats or carry weapons. Currently the number is 2-8 drones per human pilot. Andril is working toward 100 drones per human pilot. The human pilot is the commander, telling his swarm of drones what to do and they are networked in ways to do amazing things. The pilot does not control the drones like a drone opearator. They are autonomous. He tells them what to do or what to look for, and they do it.
These "Anduril Fury" planes (drones) are half the size of a crewed jet fighter and they can be purchased at one-fourth the cost. Old way, two planes, one being the wingman. New way, one pilot and 4 wingmen at the same price.
This is just one example. The Anduril product line is astounding. If you are unfamiliar with it, it's worth a look.
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