Posted on 12/03/2008 6:10:00 PM PST by Kaslin
Strategic Defense: The Air Force's airborne laser program passes yet another test, proving "unproven" missile defense once again. The question is not whether we can get it to work, but whether we can afford not to.
Fortunately, another answer to the threat posed by rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea has just passed a critical milestone.
That answer is the YAL-1A, a modified Boeing 747-400F equipped with the Airborne Laser (ABL) system, which includes a high-energy chemical laser designed to destroy ballistic missiles in their very vulnerable boost phase, missiles such as Iran's Shahab series.
The ABL program places a megawatt-class, high-energy Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) on a modified Boeing 747-400F aircraft to detect, track and destroy all classes of ballistic missiles. ABL also can pass information on launch sites, target tracks and predicted impact points to other layers of the global ballistic missile defense system.
This week, Boeing and the Missile Defense Agency announced another successful test — the first ground test of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the aircraft, including the firing of a high-energy laser through the ABL beam control/fire control system. Earlier tests had unit-tested other components of the system, particularly the ability to find, track and target missiles in flight.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...
Barak Obama will NOT let this happen.
Oh, c’mon now . . . Iran is just a tiny country somewhere over there . . . the Great and Most Merciful said so . . .
That dumb ol Ronnie Raygun. What was he thinking.
The YAL-1A is a national asset. It will be a shame if the kenyan allows congress to cut funding for this for some ridiculous social spending program. This platform will be able to knock down enemy aircraft as well as boost phase missiles.
I thought our President elect said that he was going to close down all missile defense and his left wing members of congress agree.
If he and they do this, I call it treason.
This is the system the Clintons blocked for their eight years...
I wonder if the system can be used on ground targets or against aircraft????
To stop it now would simply be to lay the US, our deployed forces, and our allies bare in the face of an ever growing threat. Needlessly placing US citizens lives at risk - that is impeachable in my book.
This will be Obama’s B-1 bomber.
Yeah, and JAPAN was a small country when it attacked Pearl Harbor and was terrorizing the Pacific Theater.
“Yeah, and JAPAN was a small country when it attacked Pearl Harbor and was terrorizing the Pacific Theater.”
To be fair, Japan had just beat up on Russia and China. Two nations out of their prime, granted, but what has Iran done lately that can compare?
Spun up 50,000 centrifuges.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.