Ghost of a flea: These might be the droids you are looking for

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July 17, 2006

These might be the droids you are looking for

With rockets landing across Israel's northern border and now as far south as Haifa the IDF has reportedly deployed three Patriot missile batteries to the city's northern suburbs and another outside Safed.* The move is presumably as much for psychological purposes as it is a response to the possibility of larger, longer range missiles; the system is ineffective against the random Katyusha fire that has been causing dislocation and death.

Northrop Grumman Directed Energy Systems battlefield lasers offer the prospect of taking on the rockets and artillery shells that are too small and too stupid to be countered by Patriot. Maybe.

In the early part of this decade, the Israeli and American militaries worked with Northrop Grumman to build the Tactical High Energy Laser, or THEL. During tests at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the chemical-powered energy weapon blasted out of the sky 28 Katyusha rockets -- just like the ones now assaulting Israel. Another 18 artillery shells and mortars were successfully zapped, as well. No other laser has ever come close to building up that kind of track record.

Northrop's SkyGuard system is probably not quite ready for prime-time (though the video is worth a look). Another shorter term possibility is a modified version of Raytheon's Phalanx CIWS battle droid system; better known as R2-D2 to the United States Navy.**

*Though it is not clear from this report which iteration of the Patriot system is in play; the PAC-2 or the newer and now "fully operational" PAC-3.
**A similar system is available for deterring nerf-herders. Also, Womp Rats.

Sithsploitation Update: Darth Vader works out some issues.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at July 17, 2006 09:07 AM