Laser Gunship Revealed

Boeing has taken the first step in making the laser gunship a reality by installing the weapon on a C-130H.

Boeing completed the laser installation Dec. 4 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The laser, including its major subsystem, a 12,000-pound integrated laser module, was moved into place aboard the aircraft and aligned with the previously-installed beam control system, which will direct the laser beam to its target.

With the laser installed, Boeing is set to conduct a series of tests leading up to a demonstration in 2008 in which the program will fire the laser in-flight at mission-representative ground targets to demonstrate the military utility of high-energy lasers. The test team will fire the laser through a rotating turret that extends through the aircraft's belly.

ATL, which Boeing is developing for the U.S. Department of Defense, will destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations.

Link: defensetech

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@ vonSkippy- the sharks weren't carrying "lasers", they were carrying "Frickin lasers." They are lighter and more compact than standard lasers and are also water proof.
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what they fail to mention in the article is that the power supply will likely fill the rest of the plane and that it will have a limited firing capacity since firing the laser will completely drain the power supply and leave behind a butt-load of toxic residue.
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