from: Tech TV/Tomorrow's world
747s to the Rescue
While the Cold War is over, as long as there are missiles with nuclear warheads on them, the threat of nuclear war looms. To counter that, the US is developing a billion dollar Airborne Laser program.
In theory, it's actually pretty simple. Get a 747 freighter aircraft and fill it with laser fuel, then fly it at 40 thousand feet in a perfect figure-eight pattern over friendly territory. An infrared search-and-track system would spot missiles from hundreds of miles away. As they break cloud cover, a low-energy laser selects the aim point, then the high-energy chemical oxygen iodine laser or coil destroys the missile.
Each 747 could carry enough high energy fuel for 25 shots, which, at less than $3,000 a shot, is relatively cheap and right around what the Pentagon used to pay for coffee pots.
747s to the Rescue
While the Cold War is over, as long as there are missiles with nuclear warheads on them, the threat of nuclear war looms. To counter that, the US is developing a billion dollar Airborne Laser program.
In theory, it's actually pretty simple. Get a 747 freighter aircraft and fill it with laser fuel, then fly it at 40 thousand feet in a perfect figure-eight pattern over friendly territory. An infrared search-and-track system would spot missiles from hundreds of miles away. As they break cloud cover, a low-energy laser selects the aim point, then the high-energy chemical oxygen iodine laser or coil destroys the missile.
Each 747 could carry enough high energy fuel for 25 shots, which, at less than $3,000 a shot, is relatively cheap and right around what the Pentagon used to pay for coffee pots.