The Missile Defense Agency, in conjunction with Boeing, is well on its way to developing technology capable of developing an airborne laser (ABL), capable of splitting open a ballistic missing in mid-air. These 747 lock onto a target’s smoke trail, then generate a chemical reaction powering laser light that hones in on the target’s fuel source. This renovation comes after 12 years of R&D, and is only at the test phase, but there are high hopes that this summer’s demonstration will be successful, and then a more efficient prototype will follow. This technology is extremely complex and intricate, and must be developed to perfection. Says Robert McMurry, Jr., in an article for Popular Science in January of 2009, “[This challenge is like] flying over the Washington Monument while shooting through a basketball hoop in Central Park.” That should give you an idea of how complex and advanced this technology is, but we can see that the Missile Defense Agency’s engineers are committed to the success of this project, so you will be hearing more about this development in combat technology in the near future.

You can learn more about the Airborn Laser here