Slashdot Mirror
Directed Energy Weapon Downs Ballistic Missile
A**masher writes "In a test off the Califoria coast late last night, Boeing's Airborne Laser successfully destroyed a sub-launched ballistic missile. 'This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform,' reported the Missile Defense Agency. It should be noted that destroying a liquid-fueled ballistic missile is generally considered easier than killing a solid-fueled equivalent due to the relative fragility of the fueling and other systems."
The Missile Defense Agency article does sound much more impressive. I am surprised to find that the Reuters rehash of the press release was so sloppy. I'd really like to see an independent journalist's description of the events though.
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
Although I have to admit that the technology does have a cool factor, I fail to see its usefulness in the wars fought by the US today.
Back in WWII, both sides were bombing the crap out of eachother with little to no regard to civilian casualties. In a case like this, this invention could be quite useful. But let's look at the wars that the US is fighting now:
-War on drugs: So when's the last time Pablo Escobar directed artillery or missiles towards US troops or population?
-War on terror: The ennemy doesn't have missiles either... this laser thing's useless against soldiers and IEDs.
If you insist of putting that cash into the war machine, then it could be spent on finding better ways to detect or protect against improvised explosive devices.
This is just propaganda to dissuade others from using missiles against us. Instead on working on tech to stop missile attacks, why don't you work on fixing the reasons why the ennemy wants to send a missile towards you in the first place?
~Syberz