That's No Moon, It's a Space Station!

Airborne laser systems that let the US Air Force hit targets from miles away without any collateral damage are getting serious consideration:

Officials said a C-130H transport that belonged to the U.S. Air Force's 46th Test Wing was being modified to contain a high-energy chemical laser. The platform would also contain battle management and beam control subsystems.

Under the program, Boeing would test the aircraft in July 2006. The aircraft would have all subsystems on board except the high-energy laser. Officials said a low-power surrogate laser would be used instead of the kilowatt-class, high-energy laser.

At the same time, the high-energy laser would be completed in Albuquerque, N.M. Officials said the first ground tests of the laser would take place in the summer of 2006.

By 2007, Boeing plans to install the laser on the aircraft and operate the weapon during flight. The laser, designed to be fired through an existing 50-inch-diameter hole in the aircraft's belly, would be demonstrated for military missions.

Officials said ATL was being developed through the Pentagon's Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program. Should the tests in 2007 prove successful, the Pentagon was expected to approve full-scale development of the airborne tactical laser.

The more astute bloggers will note that the C-130 platform is the same platform that is currently used for air support via the UH-130H/U (Spooky) - the modern version of Puff the Magic Dragon. Those earlier planes used miniguns to fire thousands of rounds at a target and the tracers lit up the path of fire much like a laser.

Well, now we're getting close to having real lasers doing real damage against ground targets. And with the possibility of reducing the possibility for collateral damage.

Impressive. Most Impressive.

UPDATE: 2/2/06:
Austin Bay and Confederate Yankee both have more thoughts on the airborne laser system.