Another Reason On Why We Should Fund The Airborne Laser Program

The bulbous nose on this modified 747 is an early sign of progress in a weapons system that one day may fulfill the goals of the Pentagon's Airborne Laser program. The aircraft this week made its first cross-country flight, landing at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland--just as Congress is debating funding for the program as part of the overall defense budget for fiscal 2008. Photo by Air Force photo by Bobby Jones

Airborne Laser Could Save Us From Terrorist Nightmare Scenario -- Human Events

Perhaps one of the most frightening terrorist-attack scenarios is one wherein a nuclear-tipped missile is launched by terrorists from a seemingly harmless cargo ship somewhere off the coast of the United States.

In such an attack, the missile could be hurtling skyward almost before our current missile-defense system had time to blink. The missile’s warhead could then be remotely detonated somewhere 20 to 60-plus miles above the visual horizon, and -- in addition to killing everyone in the blast and radiation radius -- trigger an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which would basically fry every single electrical circuit in the blast’s line-of-sight for hundreds of miles in every direction. An EMP would effectively knock out all electrical grids, aircraft, trains, ships, automobiles, computers, medical equipment, ATM machines, cooling and heating systems, TVs, radios, telephones, blackberries, flashlights, electric toothbrushes, and children’s toys in an instant.

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My Comment: I love the technology behind the Airborne Laser (ABL) program. What was ridiculed as being impossible 20 years ago .... is (now) not only possible but practical in today's world.

Unfortunately .... today's world does not make this possible. With trillion dollar deficits and an electorate that continuously votes for politicians (and now a President) who are not sympathetic with the program .... I know that it's lifespan is limited and will (most likely) be killed in the next budget.

On a side note .... I am not sympathetic with the argument that such an anti-missile system should be built because of terrorism. If terrorists have such a device, they would deliver it by container and ahve it blown up in an American city. The political statement will be the same .... without the risk and complications of a missile launch.