With the announcement yesterday of Northrop Grumman's weapons-grade laser firing, weaponized lasers have crossed the silent line between science fiction and fact. So, what exactly do you do with a super cool laser weapon? You put it in the nose of a Boeing 747 and blow up missles, of course.
Northrop Grumman, along with Boeing Company, have been working together to create the Airborne Laser (ABL) program. The goal of this program is to put lasers on planes with the purpose of blowing up missles during the launch phase. With the test firing of a >100Kw laser, they've brought this sci-fi weapon of the future one step closer to reality.
The implications of this new technology are enormous. A terrorist could be instantaneously zapped from high in the sky. Dogfights could start to resemble a scene from Star Wars. What if you're firing the weapon and miss your target?
Northrop Grumman, along with Boeing Company, have been working together to create the Airborne Laser (ABL) program. The goal of this program is to put lasers on planes with the purpose of blowing up missles during the launch phase. With the test firing of a >100Kw laser, they've brought this sci-fi weapon of the future one step closer to reality.
The implications of this new technology are enormous. A terrorist could be instantaneously zapped from high in the sky. Dogfights could start to resemble a scene from Star Wars. What if you're firing the weapon and miss your target?
While there are many questions regarding the use of these laser weapons, there's undoubtedly a cool factor to their development. One can't help but wonder what are the contents of the pandoras box before us.
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