Boeing's Airborne Laser begins flight tests, future uncertain
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 25th 2009 11:28PM
posted April 25th 2009 11:28PM
Boeing was pretty bullish about its aircraft-mounted laser system only a few short months ago, but it looks the program's future is now considerably more uncertain, even as the sole aircraft to be equipped with the rig begins its first flight tests. Apparently, everything with the tests themselves has been going according to plan, with both the high-energy laser itself and the "beam control / fire control apparatus" along for the ride, and Boeing is even reportedly still on track for a missile-intercept demonstration later this year. The recent funding shakeup at the Pentagon, however, has thrown Boeing and its partners in the project for a bit of a loop, with the department now apparently intending to keep only one of the planes in service (instead of the proposed seven) as it transitions the rest of the program towards a purely R&D effort.
Professor Jerry Hathaway must be proud.
This weapon system is useless. All threats have ended, and those that haven't - President Obama can simply talk with, and apologize.
It's cool. I'm sure he can send Billary to negotiate with the missile after its been launched. We're safe man.
@Bill.... I welcome your comments, keep them coming.
Specifically designed to kill people. Great. *sigh*
what a sick, twisted government thought this was a good way to spend tax payer's money?
Build several hospitals? Build loads of schools with excellent teachers? Sort the frickin' ridiculous health care system out? The list is endless...but no...they spend it on a plane with lasers in it specifically designed to murder people from miles away...
That's so sick. And no, not in a good way.
Your ignorance is astounding. This is a missile DEFENSE system.
damn liberals are stupid
@Paul -
...as is your myopic point of view.
Lame insults aside, just exactly WHO do you think you are defending yourselves from, Paul?
"Military spending 2008(available on Wiki)
1 United States 651,163,000,000
2 People's Republic of China 70,242,645,000
3 France 61,571,330,000
4 United Kingdom 56,889,000,000
5 Japan 48,860,000,000
6 Germany 45,930,000,000
7 Italy 40,050,000,000
8 Russian Federation 34,000,000,000
9 India 32,700,000,000
10 Saudi Arabia 31,050,000,000
11 Turkey 30,936,000,000
12 South Korea 28,500,000,000
13 Brazil 23,972,836,012
14 Spain 18,974,000,000
15 Iraq 17,900,000,000
16 Canada 16,061,762,400
17 Australia 15,744,500,000
18 Israel 13,300,000,000
19 Netherlands 12,000,000,000
20 Poland 11,791,000,000
21 Republic of China (Taiwan) 10,500,000,000 "
Can somebody explain to me why Japan is on the list? They don't even have a military.
Here you go... anything else we can do for you?
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Japan+millitary
Japan has no military. It's a 'Defence Force'. Kind of like that dude at the pumps is a 'fuel transer technician'.
That budget of US Military spending includes BILLIONS of $$$ in foreign aid to other countries, aka FOOD! Oh wait, that doesn't fit with your agenda. Try using a reliable source besides "wiki"
SOURCE OF FUNDS: Ask the "Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation" or "Steve Jobs Philanthropy Fund" for money.
So let me get this straight, laser death ray and liquid metal processors. I think we are on target for the metal to take over in 2011 :) Let me be the first to say "Does anybody know where Jon Conner is?"
I love how everyone blames Obama for this, when wasn't this current defense budget proposed by Gates (in b4 Obama)? And it wasn't a cut in the overall budget, in fact there was a small increase in the total budget? And are we military experts here? Should be be lambasting Gates (or Obama lol) without first seeing what other military experts think of his defense plan? Wouldn't they know more than us?
It must be tough finding people to test the system, "Yeah, we're going to fire a missile at the plane your flying, then you'll shoot it down with a laser, fingers crossed."
Jim Jong Il must be very pleased.
Is that his brother in Louisiana?
@something clever:
No. Uranium shipped from Iraq to Canada was left over from Saddam Hussein's defunct nuclear weapons program and had been in sealed containers, under guard by allies, since the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. Claims that this material is "vindication" for President Bush's WMD claims in 2003 are completely false.
i saw this thing on TV like 10years ago minimum.. probably more like 15 years ago... this thing just needs to die... really, c'mon man it's just not going to work and it cost to damn much.
http://www.gadgetcom.com/wp-content/plugins/auto-blogster/images/real-genius-laser.jpg
Let me know when the house of popcorn shows up. I'd love to go swimming in it.
Yes, because the 40+ year threat of ICBM's just wasn't that important to the new administration, apparently. Perhaps the best deterrent to the easiest form of successfully delivering a nuke on allied soil just isn't on the docket for the month...
I don't care who you are, or how you vote, but if saving a few billion dollars a year against a slim* threat to the US and its allies is so important to you that you're willing to give up a realistic defense to an ICBM attack, then your logic is flawed and you're an asshole by government-proxy. If people really believe this administration is concerned about America's safety, then maybe we'd still put a little stock in this delivery method.
* = it's only slim until any second of the week/month/year when a rogue state with enough technology (aka: North Korea, soon Iran) decides it's time America had a bad day.
I'm sure R.O.A.C.H. would be happy to fund this to completion... and then steal it.