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IWETHEY Home / IWETHEY Board / Politics Forum / Senate wants to cut Navy lazer and railgun programs
Post #343,920
by jay
6/19/11 5:08:52 PM
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New Senate wants to cut Navy lazer and railgun programs
http://www.wired.com...perlaser-railgun/
The Free Electron Laser and the Electromagnetic Railgun are experimental weapons that the Navy hope will one day burn missiles careening toward their ships out of the sky and fire bullets at hypersonic speeds at targets thousands of miles away. Neither will be ready until at least the 2020s, the Navy estimates. But the Senate Armed Services Committee has a better delivery date in mind: never.

Yes, these are both long term research projects, but keeping ahead of key technology is important for the US in the long run. I would rather see the military spend money on fundamental technology then a lot of other projects the military wastes money on.

Jay
Post #343,925
by Another Scott
6/19/11 8:34:00 PM
Reply
New Heh. "... mad scientists of the Navy ...".
As you say, they're research and development programs, and rather inexpensive ones at that (in the context of DoD spending).

$60M = About 8 hours in Afghanistan.

But in a time of 9+% unemployment, with a Defense budget that is at least 60% of the world military spending, and with no conceivable national threat on the horizon, I'm not going fret about them potentially being cut.

However, it's weak tea.

You'll know the Congress is serious about cutting the Defense budget, though, when they make cuts in things like the JSF, BMD, attack submarines, etc. - http://en.wikipedia....an_.241.5_billion

Cheers,
Scott.
     Senate wants to cut Navy lazer and railgun programs - (jay) - (1) - June 19, 2011, 05:08:52 PM EDT
         Heh. "... mad scientists of the Navy ...". - (Another Scott) - June 19, 2011, 08:34:00 PM EDT

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