In rough terrain places like Afghanistan, the military has to rely on helicopters for many operations. Because choppers tend to operate at low altitudes and at relatively slow cruise speeds, they are highly vulnerable to shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles. The good news is that a new laser technology developed at the University of Michigan and spin-off Omni Sciences looks like a promising solution. Mohammed Islam, a professor in the Department of Engineering and Computer Science, has created an assembly of cheap, off-the-shelf fiber optic components to build a sturdy, portable "mid-infrared supercontinuum laser" that can blind heat-seeking missiles from a distance of 1.8 miles.
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