|article| Bottle-nosed airborne laser aircraft displayed in Washington.

[Nesher]

 

The U.S.A.F. Airborne Laser aircraft sits on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base outside

Washington June 21, 2007. The modified 747 aircraft uses a high-energy

Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser to generate an energy beam from the aircraft's

nose to intercept and destroy a hostile ballistic missile during the boost phase of its trajectory.

 

 

The U.S.A.F. Airborne Laser aircraft sits on the tarmac

at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington June 21, 2007

 

source:

[FastCargo]

Simple.

 

This laser is a LOT more powerful than lasers on pods...those are designed to mess up the seekers on IRMs...not take out a ballistic missile the size of an ICBM.

 

A 747 can fly high, which makes the laser more effective.

 

A 747 can see more 'over the horizon'. And can attack missiles while still in boost phase. ABMs can only attack when the missile is in ballistic or terminal phase.

 

And a laser's travel time is instant...an ABM still has to solve the intercept problem (hitting one bullet with another).

 

FastCargo