[TML] Molding Ships

[Jerry W Barrington]

On 10/4/07 10:06 AM, "Charles Prevatte" wrote:

> There is a series on SF novel that include ship board laser that effectively
> end the use of aircrft and satalites.  (They shoot them down are they riae
> above the horizon.  So the naval war is faught be old style naval ships at
> close ranges using guns, sprint missiles, and torpedoes.  The lasers are not
> powerfull enough to cook a war ship's greater mass and the ships have some
> defences that also reduce the effectiveness of the lasers (similar to sand
> casters).  Good books.

Air launched cruise missiles from over the horizon.  Also sub launched
cruise missiles.  They can be hardened against the laser, they can jitter to
avoid constant hit from the laser, and they stay below horizon til really
close.  Multiple missiles on simultaneous converging courses from all around
the ship.  Sure, some will get shot down.  But it only takes 1 nuclear
cruise missile to give your admiral a *really* bad day.

> If so, then we will not be dependant on oil for much longer.
> Keep your fingures crossed.

Still have to get that infrastructure in place.  Look what it'll take to
replace all the cars in USA with ones powered in some sense by electricity
(batteries, electrically generated hydrogen, whatever).