GarryB Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:53 am
Actually that PAPV laser jammer was in the 2000 book of Russian Arms for export, and it is the export model of a system that is rather older.
I suspect with new laser technology it will be much more powerful and much lighter.
Its purpose was to damage optics like telescopic sights and EO systems.
It acts like a laser radar in that it uses a laser beam reflected off a vibrating mirror that generates a laser line instead of a single laser point. This laser line is then scanned around in an arc looking for reflections from the objective lens of optical systems. When reflections are detected a much more powerful beam is directed at the optics to "disable them".
Have read that they have made a few breakthroughs in work on gamma ray lasers, or grazers.
If you look at the spectrum of EM energy you will see gamma rays at the top and they have enormous energy. In a nuclear detonation there are alpha rays, beta rays, and gamma rays. Alpha rays wont penetrate clothing. Beta rays are stopped by skin. Gamma rays will go through lead.
In terms of danger however it is gamma rays that are the most lethal and destroy living tissue at the cellular level.
Anyway... what I am trying to say is that this is not just a laser toy, and the system has no doubt move on in terms of laser technology.