| Portable lasers and laser pointers have many | | | | laser mounted on the weapons platform, be it an |
| applications ranging from avian dispersal and | | | | aircraft or missile launcher will have a built in laser |
| research to laser displays and warfare. One of the | | | | that will illuminate the target. A classic example of |
| more esoteric and less understood applications is | | | | the use of laser weapons is for a reconnaissance |
| guiding bombs and missiles. | | | | group to infiltrate enemy territory and illuminate |
| The basic idea is a laser pointer will paint or | | | | the target. |
| illuminate a target with a laser beam and a laser | | | | Laser guided weapons do have disadvantages. |
| detector or sensor in the bomb/missile will detect | | | | The weapons are only guided when they can |
| laser light reflected of the target and home on | | | | detect the laser beam. This means if the beam is |
| the reflected light. The sensor will detect the | | | | blocked by smoke poor weather or dusty |
| strongest source of laser light and steer the | | | | conditions, the weapons can not be guided. This |
| weapon to that source using course corrections | | | | greatly limits the use of these weapons in desert |
| with its control surfaces (non powered weapons | | | | wars such as the Iraqi wars. |
| such as free fall bombs) or with motor (rockets). | | | | A common misunderstanding is that a common |
| The advantage of laser guided weapons is that | | | | green laser pointer can be used with these |
| they can strike a target with extreme precision | | | | weapons and pity the poor fool who is using one |
| and reduce or eliminate civilian deaths and | | | | of these lasers when a laser guided bomb is in the |
| property damage (collateral damage is the phrase | | | | air. The lasers use to guide these weapons are |
| commonly used by the military and politicians). | | | | infrared (visible lasers will give the user's position |
| Laser guided weapons are smaller and contain less | | | | away to the enemy) lasers that used a pulsed |
| explosives than their non guided counterparts | | | | system that is coded to the sensor on the |
| making them cheaper to produce and allowing | | | | weapon. The weapon will only home in on a laser |
| aircraft and other launch platforms to carry more | | | | source with a matching code. Your trusty green |
| of them. | | | | laser pointer will do many things such as create |
| The key element in the use of laser guided | | | | laser displays, carry out research and entertain |
| weapons is the illumination of the target by laser | | | | your friends. It will even land you in jail if you |
| light. This is normally achieved by one of two | | | | misuse it BUT it will not bring laser guided |
| ways. A person on the ground near the target will | | | | weapons down on you. |
| use a laser pointer to illuminate the target or a | | | | |