Gizmodo writes:
"A Space.com article took at look at Doug Beason's book, The E-Bomb: How America's New Directed Energy Weapons Will Change the Way Wars Will Be Fought in the Future, shorten the title of that book for sakes. The Space.com article is reporting that the book says that the U.S. is close to deploying a new generation of weapons including lasers. Basically Mr. Beason is full of poo. The Tactical High Energy Laser was cancelled last year and the Airborne Laser is billions over budget and a couple years past its deadline. The main reason laser weapons are so difficult to produce is because the weapons use giant vats of toxic chemicals to produce the laser light, so this creates a big mobility issue. Solid state lasers (powered by crystals) could be used, but those are like kiddie toys compared to what chemical lasers can do. Sorry Star Wars and Star Trek cosplay junkies, no RL bew-bew guns to go with your outfit for a while."
However from the source article a Defense Tech Reader states:
An effective version of laser weaponry is ready for use today. The Chinese have installed it on the turret of the Type 98 MBT
"The procedure of the laser weapon would first use a low-powered beam to locate the optics of the enemy weapon. Once the enemy weapon was located, the power level of the laser would be immediately and dramatically increased. Such an attack would disable the guidance optics of the enemy weapon and/or damage the eyesight of the enemy gunner."
Using lasers as blinding weapons would be a most efficient way of rendering your enemy "combat ineffective" and is available today. Apparently the Chinese have no qualms about using them in this manner.
Gizmodo:[link]
Defense Tech:[link]
