William Baird wrote:
First couple generations I'd expect the lasers to be in dedicated AA
platforms. After that, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they
proliferated
into the slot of the AA .50 cal on tanks. assuming they still have
MBTs
around then, of course.

My prediction is that laser weapons will really take off when a
practical, high efficiency, high repetition rate short pulsed
(nanosecond or less) laser with a reasonable energy per pulse (say about
a joule) is available. By high efficiency, I mean comparable to today's
chemical and solid state CW lasers, around 10% to 30% or better, not the
piddly 1% efficiency we get with solid state lasers operating with
flashlamps.

Why pulsed lasers? Short pulses cause damage to the target through
mechanical means (induced by the violent expansion of the solid density
plasma created by the pulse) rather than thermal. This is two to three
orders of magnitude more efficient at causing structural damage than
direct vaporization. The high repetition rate specified (several
kilohertz or faster) will allow you to blast holes though things quickly
compared to the relatively slow burning of CW lasers.

We still have a way to go to get lasers of this performance, however (or
if we don't, no one is talking about it). At the rate at which laser
technology is advancing, though, it will probably not be too long before
the military has these toys to play with.

Luke