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Airborne Boeing Laser Blasts Ground Target 419

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:34AM from the lazlo-approved dept.

coondoggie writes "The airborne military laser which promises to destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage has for the first time actually blown something up. Boeing and the US Air Force today said that on Aug. 30, a C-130H aircraft armed with Boeing's Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) blasted a target test vehicle on the ground for the first time. Boeing has been developing the ATL since 2008 under an Air Force contract worth up to $30 million."

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Airborne Boeing Laser Blasts Ground Target

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Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by nhstar ( 452291 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:36AM (#29295615)

Someone find the house full of Popped Corn!!!

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And Kent? (Score:5, Funny)

by otis wildflower ( 4889 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:36AM (#29295617) Homepage

Stop playing with yourself!!

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Slashdotted? (Score:3, Funny)

by Tablizer ( 95088 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:40AM (#29295631) Journal

They missed and cooked their server instead.

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Re:$30 million? (Score:2, Funny)

by Tablizer ( 95088 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:46AM (#29295667) Journal

Million, with a M? Are you sure that is not a typo?
Shhhh, it's only a model.

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by socceroos ( 1374367 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:48AM (#29295677)

Dude, seriously. That was a pretty corny joke.

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Re:Video? (Score:3, Funny)

by Brian Gordon ( 987471 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @01:05AM (#29295763)

Even if it's just an artist's conception, there's always a picture. No exceptions.
(If there isn't, make one [imageshack.us])

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by Cryacin ( 657549 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @01:08AM (#29295779)

Absolutely!

I mean seriously. How did they get the shark to fly?

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Faster than a speeding bullet? (Score:5, Funny)

by eggnet ( 75425 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @01:39AM (#29295951)

Wow, according to the article, the laser is supersonic. Good to know.

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Re:Faster than a speeding bullet? (Score:3, Funny)

by Shadyman ( 939863 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @01:45AM (#29295983) Homepage

Whew. For a moment there, I was scared the laser might be going the speed of light. Now THAT would be dangerous.

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by pryoplasm ( 809342 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @01:55AM (#29296035)

They just took jumping the shark to a whole new level...

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Re:Is this really what passes for jounalism today? (Score:2, Funny)

by pipedwho ( 1174327 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @02:13AM (#29296123)

And if that fails you could always resubmit your essay to your comp sci lecturer as a media example of infinite recursion.

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Re:Faster than a speeding bullet? (Score:3, Funny)

by labnet ( 457441 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @03:08AM (#29296413)

Not only that. They want to develop phased array systems with a total power output of 10W. Watch out paper aeroplanes!

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Re:Sigh (Score:5, Funny)

by Toonol ( 1057698 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @03:23AM (#29296469)

What international convention is the US a party to, that it doesn't follow? Specifically?

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Re:Is this really what passes for jounalism today? (Score:5, Funny)

by bitrex ( 859228 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @04:11AM (#29296743)

It could have been worse, it could have been something like "produces 300,000 volts of power, which in watts per second is larger than an aircraft carrier and enough to burn down the entire Library of Congress..."

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Re:Sigh (Score:4, Funny)

by Entropius ( 188861 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @04:57AM (#29296951)

After the ascent stage you're dealing with a vehicle designed to survive reentry. Somehow I doubt you're going to do much damage to it with a teeny little laser.

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by Mr. Bad Example ( 31092 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @06:21AM (#29297297) Homepage

> Dude, seriously. That was a pretty corny joke.
And yet there's a kernel of truth to it.

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Re:Sigh (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @06:28AM (#29297315)

Mirrors reflect (typically) 60-70% of the light that hits them, turning the rest into heat. Cheap, glossy, exterior-grade white paint often reflects in excess of 90% of the light back.
Finally, an explanation for the Stormtrooper armor design!

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Re:Sigh (Score:4, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @06:50AM (#29297393)

with remaining eye?

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by Per Wigren ( 5315 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @07:25AM (#29297541) Homepage

You should take it with a grain of salt...

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Re:And Kent? (Score:3, Funny)

by jayspec462 ( 609781 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @09:29AM (#29298653) Homepage

It *is* God!

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by Salgak1 ( 20136 ) writes: <salgak@s[ ]keasy.net ['pea' in gap]> on Thursday September 03, 2009 @09:43AM (#29298837) Homepage

And stop buttering us up. . .

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Re:Quick! (Score:4, Funny)

by Salgak1 ( 20136 ) writes: <salgak@s[ ]keasy.net ['pea' in gap]> on Thursday September 03, 2009 @09:44AM (#29298849) Homepage

. . .but where was the frickin' laser on its' head ??

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by swb ( 14022 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @10:03AM (#29299121)

Sure, I've been married for 10 years!

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Re:Sigh (Score:4, Funny)

by DarthVain ( 724186 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @10:04AM (#29299133)

Let me get this straight... Are you telling me I have to modulate my shield frequency?
KHANNNNNNNN!

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Re:Quick! (Score:3, Funny)

by LifesABeach ( 234436 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @10:35AM (#29299541) Homepage

Consider looking for a Silo with a "Orville Rickenbacker" sign on it. It would the only time a U.S. site was attacked by its government, and the victim paying for the media rights.

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Re:Quick! (Score:5, Funny)

by CopaceticOpus ( 965603 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @11:09AM (#29300039)

And yet there's a kernel of truth to it.
What truth would that be? I'm all ears.

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Re:Sigh (Score:4, Funny)

by 2names ( 531755 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @11:25AM (#29300267)

When was the last time you saw a person/vehicle/whatever having a mirror?

Pretty much every vehicle I've ever been in has at least one side mirror.

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To all you a**holes.... (Score:3, Funny)

by PPH ( 736903 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @12:21PM (#29300893)

.... with the laser pointers: We're shooting back.

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Re:Quick! (Score:3, Funny)

by CannonballHead ( 842625 ) writes: on Thursday September 03, 2009 @01:27PM (#29301671)

Quite eavesdropping. You're stalking.

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