Star Trek, Here We Come

12 Oct 2006


Israel makes first operational use of tactical laser cannon.
In the last few months, the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] has been making the first operational use in the world of a tactical laser cannon system designed to destroy explosive charges and mines.

With tactical laser cannons, can photon torpedos be far behind?

Northrop Grumman are working on strategic lasers. Will the test bed be the Enterprise?


Update: I thought I had read an article about a tactical laser before, but I couldn’t recall where. Saywhatnow pointed it out to me: a DefenseTech article about ZEUS.

ZEUS does sound similar to THOR, but is not made by an Israeli company, so I guess they are competitors. It seems THOR’s claim of being the first such system in use is probably an exaggeration.



—posted by Nicholas.

No Responses to “Star Trek, Here We Come”

  1. Saywhatnow Says:

    The system is called Thor. It is an evolution of Zeus?

  2. Nicholas Says:

    Hmm, they seem more like competition, they seem to be made by different companies. I thought I’d seen the ZEUS article before, and it conflicts with the claim that THOR is the first such system in the world, doesn’t it. I guess I should be more suspicious of such claims.

  3. KTLA Says:

    Now if they can mount one on the head of a frickin’ shark, we’d be set! Throw me a bone here, people!

  4. Murdoc Says:

    KTLA: Arming sharks with frickin’ lasers would be the biggest DoD contract ever…at least a millllllllion dollars!

  5. jaymaster Says:

    And yet they can’t figure out how to get water to their troops 50 klicks from the fricken border?

  6. Nicholas Says:

    I’m sure they can figure out how to do that, but it involves hurting some terrorists’ feelings so it’s forbidden.