The United States Navy has been working on next-gen weaponry ever since the last-gen was present-gen, and if the next next-gen ever actually arrives, well... we don't stand a chance at lasting very long. According to Wired, the Navy's Office of Naval Research is expecting laser technology (as it relates to weaponry) to mature in the next score, and if all goes well, a free-electron laser could be mounted on a ship during the 2020s. As of now, FELs produce a 14-kilowatt beam, but that figure needs to hit 100+ in order to seriously defend a ship; unfortunately for those who adore peace, it seems we're well on our way to having just that. When it's complete, these outrageous pieces of artillery will be capable of "burning incoming missiles out of the sky [and] zapping through an enemy vessel's hull." Something tells us that whole "You Sunk My Battleship" meme is just years from reappearing in grand fashion.Future Navy lasers will 'burn incoming missiles,' blast through ominous vessels originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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