Lasing Ships on Chesapeake Bay

[stgislander]

Okay Calvert folks... somebody knows something.

https://www.marinelink.com/news/inv...-05-04&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MT-ENews

 

[Larry Gude]

A little help. What's the danger here? I read the article but find it a bit of a stretch to think someone could actually hit the eyes of the folks on the bridge at distance. Maybe I simply don't understand the threat here but it sounds like, at worst, a minor annoyance. I mean, could the ships counter lase and be expected to impact the eyes of Gill...err...I mean, whomever was doing this?

 

[Gilligan]

At the ranges involved, the beam has widened to the extent that it scatters when hitting the glass on wheelhouse (or cockpit, if it's an aircraft). The resulting diffraction can be very disconcerting and an immediate and dangerous distraction. Hence why it's very illegal.

You can buy very powerful lasers right off eBay cheap these days too.

 

[Wishbone]

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!

 

[Larry Gude]

At the ranges involved, the beam has widened to the extent that it scatters when hitting the glass on wheelhouse (or cockpit, if it's an aircraft). The resulting diffraction can be very disconcerting and an immediate and dangerous distraction. .

And you know this...how?

 

[dave1959]

And you know this...how?

Because he read it on the internet silly..

 

[Hijinx]

Well as a non expert on lasers. I believe that because so many weapons now have a laser sight these people are frightened that they are being targeted, much more than they are disturbed by the light.

 

[PsyOps]

A little help. What's the danger here? I read the article but find it a bit of a stretch to think someone could actually hit the eyes of the folks on the bridge at distance. Maybe I simply don't understand the threat here but it sounds like, at worst, a minor annoyance. I mean, could the ships counter lase and be expected to impact the eyes of Gill...err...I mean, whomever was doing this?

My thought is - which is really a stretch - lasers are used for laser-guided munitions. Just as the likelihood laser guided surface-to-air missiles could be used to take down a plane, the same is true with boats. That is the 'perceived' threat. This is really just a bunch of kids getting their kicks with laser pointers.

 

[Hijinx]

My thought is - which is really a stretch - lasers are used for laser-guided munitions. Just as the likelihood laser guided surface-to-air missiles could be used to take down a plane, the same is true with boats. That is the 'perceived' threat. This is really just a bunch of kids getting their kicks with laser pointers.

I think I said that.

 

[Gilligan]

And you know this...how?

Because I routinely work with or around systems that use lasers? Ordnance-related as well as commercial. Except for that..I dunno.

 

[PsyOps]

I think I said that.

Well, I didn't read your post

 

[Ken King]

My thought is - which is really a stretch - lasers are used for laser-guided munitions. Just as the likelihood laser guided surface-to-air missiles could be used to take down a plane, the same is true with boats. That is the 'perceived' threat. This is really just a bunch of kids getting their kicks with laser pointers.

Keep thinking. Laser designators (target acquisition) are not visible to the naked eye. Depending on wave length, you can see them with NVG, but the newer ones are at wave lengths that require SWIR cameras to see them.

 

[PsyOps]

Keep thinking. Laser designators (target acquisition) are not visible to the naked eye. Depending on wave length, you can see them with NVG, but the newer ones are at wave lengths that require SWIR cameras to see them.

Like i said, it was probably a couple of kids getting some kicks.

 

[glhs837]

So, for $300 you can buy a Class 4 laser that can cause direct eye damage out to 750 feet. Or about an 18th of a mile.......... Now, can you cause temp blindness with doing damage? Think so.

http://www.wickedlasers.com/image/wicked/pdf/S3-Arctic-Manual_20131113W.pdf