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Congress Wants To Resurrect Laser-Wielding 747

Posted by Unknown on from the it-works-on-tee-vee dept.

Harperdog writes "Noah Schactman has a great piece on the Airborne Laser, the ray gun-equipped 747 that became a symbol of wasteful Pentagon weaponeering. Despite sixteen years and billions of dollars in development, the jet could never reliably blast a missile in trials. Now the House Armed Services Committee's Strategic Forces wants the Airborne Laser to be used to defend us against the threat of North Korea's failed missiles."

6 of 302 comments (clear)

  1. what better... by Sebastopol · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...to shoot down a failed missile than a failed missile-defense program?

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    https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
    1. Re:what better... by supremebob · · Score: 4, Funny

      If 80's movies have taught us anything, they're also good at popping giant balls of popcorn and destroying the homes of asshole professors.

    2. Re:what better... by TWX · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, but it'll take a real genius to figure out a better use for it...

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      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    3. Re:what better... by gstrickler · · Score: 4, Funny

      Chris: So, if there's anything I can do for you, or, more to the point, to you, you just let me know.
      Susan: Can you hammer a six-inch spike through a board with your penis?
      Chris: Not right now.
      Susan: A girl's gotta have her standards.

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      make imaginary.friends COUNT=100 VISIBLE=false
  2. But there is more! by oldhack · · Score: 5, Funny

    The 747 can then also fingerprint conflict minerals.

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    Fuck systemd. Fuck Redhat. Fuck Soylent, too. Wait, scratch the last one.
  3. Laser Jets? Pfffffft..! by vyruss000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hewlett-Packard has been building LaserJets since the 1980s...