By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com October 15, 2009 There’s a scene at the beginning of the 1985 film Real Genius showing a fictional “Crossbow Project” demonstration video of some unlucky bastard (perhaps a third-world dictator or politician?) getting instantly vaporized by a space-based laser weapon fired from a satellite. The video is being shown to a bunch …

By David Crane August 13, 2009 BAE Systems has just won a five-year, $347 million ($347M) to produce, maintain, and provide logistical support for 200 digital handheld Laser Target Locator Modules (LTLM) per month for the U.S. Army for an indefinite period of time, presumably until the $347M runs out, unless the contract is extended. BAE is partnering with Swiss …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com March 31, 2009 There’s a scene towards the end of the movie Congo (1995) where Laura Linney’s character, Dr. Karen Ross, slices through an attack force of homicidal and generally-disagreeable grey gorillas with a diamond-based portable laser weapon like a Ginsu knife through a ripe tomato. It’s scenes like this that excite …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com All photographic images contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com, and are the exclusive property of DefenseReview.com. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. All photos were shot with an Olympus Stylus 790 SW 7.1-megapixel digital camera, which is advertised as "shock + waterproof". January 9, 2009 When most people think …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com September 7, 2008 Laser warfare may be closer than we think. Danger Room and Gizmodo both report that Northrop Grumman is promising the U.S. military that it will have working, deployable weapons-grade solid-state, electric lasers (tactical lasers) ready to go by the end of 2008. Solid-state electric lasers have been making progress …

by David Crane defrev at gmail dot com July 17, 2008 Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT) and Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced on July 09, 2008 that they’ll be teaming up on the development of a laser-guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket called the Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket-Laser (GATR-L). GATR-L is being designed and developed to provide an affordable and cost-effective precision-strike/precision-kill …

by David Crane defrev at gmail dot com Back in May, DefenseReview learned that Raytheon is teaming with an Abu-Dhabi, UAE-based company called Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI) to create an advanced semi-active-laser-guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket under the moniker "Laser Guided Rocket" (LGR). The concept, of course, is nothing new. Back in September of last year, DefenseReview reported on the sudden …

by David Crane defrev at gmail dot com January 18, 2008 1) Next Generation Arms (NGA) is offering the Cammenga Easymag steel magazine with their proprietary anti-corrosion/rust and self-lubricating firearms coatings/finishes. DefenseReview recently published information on NGA’s firearms / gun coatings in an article by tactical instructor and retired military Special Operations assaulter/operator Mike Pannone on the Larue Tactical Stealth …

The following is a Boeing press release: ST. LOUIS, Oct. 13, 2006 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has begun flight testing for the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program and has generated "first light" of ATL’s high-energy chemical laser in ground tests, achieving two key milestones in the laser gunship development effort. During the "low-power" …

February 17, 2006 Last updated on 11/07/12. Photos below are of German KSK (German military Special Forces) and Dutch Special Forces operators with the Oerlikon Contraves Laser Light Module (LLM 01) tactical aiming laser/white light (laser aiming device/tactical white light) attached to their weapons. Click on photos below to view them full-size. The following is a slightly edited Advance Defense Technologies (ADT) …