US Army to smite enemies with Tesla-like lightning bolts?
In the era of remote-controlled drones, invisible planes and microwave guns, no military innovation should come as a surprise. But among the array of new weapons none are more satisfying than a cannon that allows you to unleash bolts of lightning. - The Laser-Induced Plasma Channel (LIPC) cannon is currently being tested at Picatinny Arsenal, a key US Army research complex in New Jersey. "We never got tired of the lightning bolts zapping our simulated targets," says George Fischer, who heads the research team. The charge is created by emitting a laser pulse that charges the air, and forms a hugely destructive bolt of lighting. Engineers are now working on turning the prototype into a mobile cannon that can be mounted on aircraft and trucks, but the US Army has not yet ordered any devices. It is possible that despite the intimidation factor and its design elegance, the man-made lightning bolt will remain a prototype – at least for now.