I thought we killed the airborne laser....

[unhappycamper]

guess not. :(


C-130 laser successfully hits moving target
Staff report
Posted : Friday Oct 16, 2009 16:17:42 EDT

Last month, a laser-equipped C-130 Hercules successfully attacked a parked truck during a test of the Advanced Tactical Laser.

Now, the Air Force and Boeing have announced that the laser-armed C-130 struck a moving target during a Sept. 19 test at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The laser, fired from a turret in belly of the C-130, melted a hole in the truck’s fender as it was driven by remote control. No pictures or video were released of the attack.

"The Advanced Tactical Laser has now precisely targeted and engaged both stationary and moving targets, demonstrating the transformational versatility of this speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit.

Air Force officials have said the laser system is still too bulky to field. The chemicals and equipment needed to produce the high-powered laser fill most of the C-130’s cargo hold. A long-term goal is creating solid-state laser that would be smaller and easy to maintain.


Article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/10/airforce_c130_laser_101609w/

[corpseratemedia]

1. sounds like War of The Worlds.

[ixion]

2. or the movie "Real Genius"

all we're missing is the popcorn. :popcorn:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Its still in development. Until they get some of the physics solved it not going operational

[Robb]

4. ABL is dead, long live ATL

:rofl:

Actually this one's a startlingly old project. They finished ACTD (basically tech demos for the budget people) in 1998. The Air Force's been shooting exotic directed energy out of C-130s for a good long spell.