U.S. Airborne Laser Advances to ‘First Light’

I’m not sure how good the lasers are for the intended purpose, but they’ve got to be impressive. Gas dynamic lasers essentially deliver a fraction of the energy of a rocket engine as a directed energy beam. Very Death-Star-ish.

“…It includes breakthrough optics designed to focus a basketball-sized spot of heat on a missile’s skin to rupture it up to hundreds of miles away.”

Airborne Anti Missile Laser

-Greg