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High Technology Weapons - Directed-Energy Weapons (DEW)

A directed-energy weapon (DEW) emits energy in an aimed direction without the means of a projectile. It transfers energy to a target for a desired effect. Intended effects may be non-lethal or lethal. Some such weapons are real, or are under active research and development.

The energy can come in various forms:

Electromagnetic radiation, in lasers (light) or masers (microwaves).
- Heat

Particles with mass, in particle beam weapons.
Flamethrowers.
Sound, in sonic weapons.

Most of such weapons at present appear only as science fiction, non-functional toys, films, props, or animation. In science fiction, these weapons are sometimes known as "death rays" or "rayguns" and are usually portrayed as projecting energy at a person or objects to kill or destroy. Many modern example of science fiction have more specific names for DEWs, due to research advances.

Operational Advantages

Laser weapons could have several main advantages over conventional weaponry:

Laser beams travel at the speed of light, so there is no need (except over exceptionally long distances) for users to compensate for target movement when firing over long distances. Consequently, evading a laser after it has been fired is impossible.*
Because of the extrememly high speed of light, it is only slightly affected by gravity, so long range projections require little compensation. Other aspects such as wind speed can be neglected at most times, unless shooting through clouds.
Lasers can change focusing configuration to provide an active area that can be much smaller or larger than projectile weaponry.
Given a sufficient power source, laser weapons could essentially have limitless ammunition.
Because light ahs a practically zero ratio (exaclty 1/c), laser weapons produce practically no recoil.
The operational range of a laser weapon can be much larger than that of a ballistic weapon, depending on atmospheric conditions and power levels.

Modern ballistic weapons commonly feature systems to counter many undersirable side-effects mentioned for them in the above comparison. As such it follows that the advantage of laser weapons over ballistics could end up more about elegance and cost.

* True, with modern tech we may not be abel to avoid a laser once it has been fired in our direction, but if we master gravity that all changes. Control of an immensely powerful gravity system can be used to deflect a laser since strong gravity has the ability to bend light away, or it could be used to manipulate local (personal) spacetime to make extrememly quick movement possible.

Spacius Adicus

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