Collin Rugg @CollinRugg JUST IN: Israel will reportedly be using their new "Iron Beam," a laser beam that can take out enemy rockets.
Unconfirmed videos are circulating showing these laser beams are now taking out enemy threats.
While an interceptor missile from the Iron Dome costs ~$50,000, the laser beam interceptor costs as low as $2 (WSJ).
The beam uses 100kW of power, 100 times more power than an average home uses.
I wonder if they have any in space?
There was probably one over Hawaii.
Space DEW to you, your house just blew. Ouch
Hawaii...
Video claims 24 mile range with 300kw laser. That's only a third of the distance to space. And a much smaller fraction of typical LEO satellite orbit altitude. But! since the target is a stationary building they could fire the laser for a lot longer than the 5 seconds it takes to destroy a rocket.
It's possible the DEWs we saw in Maui and elsewhere were not from space. DEWs can be fired from aircraft as well. Far easier to do from something that can come back to the ground.
Also, they weren't laser beams. Scaler Electromagnetic is more likely (look it up). Tom Bearden did a lot of work on these.