Alright /k/
Why are there no laser blinding weapons?
Specifically, why aren't there hand held blinding rifles operating at moderate power (1-10W) in the near IR spectrum (circa 808nm).
>Range: effective operating distance of 0-1000m, far larger than average infantry distance of engagement (<300m)
>Stealth: no sound, no visible light, no obvious signs of operations, especially true against enemies without the technology / equipment to detect IR light.
>Feasibility: No significant RnD required, just smack some mass market IR diodes into a gun shaped housing and add a scope.
>Logistics: No need for supply chain management for ammo, have infantry carry small hand crank generator. Besides, it'd be reasonable to expect as much as 3 hours continuous operation. Mind, you're probably only "firing" for a couple seconds per targeted eye. Recharges would be rare in the field, and not inconvenient when needed.
>Resources: Killing an enemy combatant takes him out of the battle. Blinding the combatant creates a liability for the enemy, draining their resources on and off the battlefield as they now have to care for someone who is a societal dead weight.
>Psychological: Imagine you're on patrol and two seconds later your buddy next to you suddenly notices he's blind. No indication of how, from where, by who. More so, because it's IR, there's no blink reflex. He didn't even realize something was happening until he was already blind. Two seconds later his buddy next to him is blind. Who would you be more afraid of? The normal enemy that shoots at you with a gun or the manifestation of god that blinds your whole squad without a single sound?
inb4 1998 Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons