Laser pointing in Iraq

[Tallaxo]

Neat footage of soldiers using a laser to direct fire onto an insurgents position. I am unsure if this is a visible green or an infrared laser being picked up with night vision cameras. whatever it is, it is very powerful as the beam is being directed over a very long distance.

Jase

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e3f_1193438830

 

[timelord]

That's a green laser being used Towel heads run for the hills when they see the green beam these days.
Green beams light up really well with the night vision goggles on

 

[steve001]

That's a green laser being used Towel heads run for the hills when they see the green beam these days.
Green beams light up really well with the night vision goggles on

No that's not a green laser, it's an infrared laser. It's the night vision that's causing the beam to look green. Didn't you notice that the explosion are also green ?
here's another example click New Izlid Movie
http://www.bemeyers.com/products.asp?itemid=37&catid=2&subcat=8

 

[timelord]

You maybe right but I've personally used green when I served in Iraq...

 

[High_Octane]

I'm not too sure I would want to use green, If its beam is visible, they would pinpoint me!

 

[timelord]

Greens are used in full scale attacks when it's clearly obvious to the enemy where you are, unfortunately Mr Jihad get's flash blinded followed by a wave of tracer bullets and the odd RPG ;D ;D ;D

 

[Benm]

That beam is probably infrared, night vision gear is extremely sensitive to that usually, so it stands out very brightly.

Obviously, the one painting the targets is still giving away his position to any enemy with even the most crappy night vision gear... even a handycam with nightshot would probably suffice to locate him.

 

[timelord]

Very true Benm...

 

[a_pyro_is]

Greens are used in full scale attacks when it's clearly obvious to the enemy where you are, unfortunately Mr Jihad get's flash blinded followed by a wave of tracer bullets and the odd RPG ;D ;D ;D

I suppose one could say that lasers, like tracers, work both ways.

 

[steve001]

You maybe right but I've personally used green when I served in Iraq...

What type of unit spec wise did you use ?

 

[timelord]

They were not labeled these units and to be honest lasers were not a hobby then....

 

[Shilood]

Today they use a lot of NIR designators. The beam is pulsed at a very short, recognizeable PW that the missile, rocket or bomb is coded to guide to.
This one uses ND:Yag at 1064nm: http://www.dsd.es.northropgrumman.com/DSD-Brochures/laser/LLDR.pdf

 

[Benm]

Somehow such technology will probably have its problems. If an enemy is able te record the pattern and reproduce it even with a IR led of suitable frequency, incoming missiles are easily diverted onto decoys.

But then again, laser painting of targets is a risky practice at all times - mirrors or retroreflectors become very powerful arms for the enemy

It may sound far-fetched, but in yugoslavia microwave ovens were hacked to operate with the door open, in order to draw radar-seeking missiles... low tech warefare at its best?

 

[FrothyChimp]

Well, as a former tactical air controller (1C4), I'll tell you right now that the designator they were using is not in the visible range. The helo pilots are looking for a designator spot in their nods (night vision gear). It's probably something like a ANPEQ-1 portable YAG designator.

No soldier in his right mind will light up a target with a visible laser at night. Just like tracers, visible lasers work both ways. Maybe the straight legs do it but the unit I was with sure didn't. There weren't enough of us to deal with the extra attention it would draw.

 

[tomcat]

HAHAHA towel heads... sorry that just cracked a rib..