Conquer Club

pimpdave wrote:That's the big announcement.

What should be done about it?

U.S. successfully tests airborne laser on missile
3:15am EST

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. high-powered airborne laser weapon shot down a ballistic missile in the first successful test of a futuristic directed energy weapon, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said on Friday.

The agency said in a statement the test took place at 8:44 p.m. PST (11:44 p.m. EST) on Thursday /0444 GMT on Friday) at Point Mugu's Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off Ventura in central California.

"The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile" the agency said.

The high-powered Airborne Laser system is being developed by Boeing Co., <BA.N> the prime contractor, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

Boeing produces the airframe, a modified 747 jumbo jet, while Northrop Grumman <NOC.N> supplies the higher-energy laser and Lockheed Martin <LMT.N> is developing the beam and fire control systems.

"This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform," the agency added.

The airborne laser weapon successfully underwent its first in-flight test against a target missile back in August. During that test, Boeing said the modified 747-400F aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base and used its infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from San Nicolas Island, California.

The plane's battle management system issued engagement and target location instructions to the laser's fire control system, which tracked the target and fired a test laser at the missile. Instruments on the missile verified the system had hit its mark, Boeing said.

The airborne laser weapon is aimed at deterring enemy missile attacks and providing the U.S. military with the ability to engage all classes of ballistic missiles at the speed of light while they are in the boost phase of flight.

"The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers (miles), and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies," the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said.

(Reporting by Jim Wolf and David Alexander, Editing by Sandra Maler)

pimpdave wrote:U.S. successfully tests airborne laser on missile

pimpdave wrote:That's the big announcement.

What should be done about it?

“We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent, but we don’t enrich because we don’t need it,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said.

Juan_Bottom wrote:

“We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent, but we don’t enrich because we don’t need it,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said.

Didn't they just-just announce that they were going to enrich it to above 30%? And that they were doing so because they need it for medical treatments!? That was just a few days ago. 80% is weapons quality right?

jbrettlip wrote:wait, why is pimpdave applauding using lasers as a missile defense?? What a waste of government money, that could be used

rockfist wrote:Perhaps the Israelis will help the Iranians by exporting some additional enriched uranium to them.

GabonX wrote:At which point they will be shot.

Doc_Brown wrote:Is it just me, or does the rhetoric being tossed around regarding Iran (particularly from Hillary Clinton) sound eerily similar to what the Bush administration was saying about Iraq back in 2002?