How Accurate Are Laser Guns?

Military lasers are very accurate.

Lasers were invented during the 1950s and are commonly used in electronics, such as your CD-ROM drive. Military-grade laser guns, which focus high-energy lights onto tiny points, are accurate enough to shoot down planes, according to USA Today.

Function

Laser guns have the potential to be many times more accurate than regular guns. When aiming a traditional gun, you must aim a little higher than the target to account for gravity and movement of the object. Lasers travel the speed of light, about 200 times faster than that of sound, which means targets have little time to move.

History

The U.S. Army shot down a radio-controlled plane with a laser for the first time in 1973, according to Science Clarified. Until the 1990s, the Army had almost no success shooting down missiles and weapons traveling at battlefield speed.

Potential

Lasers guns are gaining more accuracy. The military succeeded in two tests in 2009 and 2010, according to USA Today. The main obstacles to increasing laser weapon accuracy are getting close enough to objects to shoot them down and power. Reflective coating can reduce a laser's power by 90 percent, according to Popular Mechanics.

References

• USA Today: Lasers Beam Crystal-clear for Half a Century
• Science Clarified: Military Applications of Lasers
• Popular Mechanics: Robotic Mirror Fleet May Boost Boeing's Airborne Laser Accuracy
• AllBusiness: Uncertain Future: Military may be Souring on Laser Weapons.