Paging Dr. Evil

Unable to successfully glue lasers to the heads of condors, the air force has decided to use the second-best option, jumbo jets:

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md., June 21, 2007 – A typical-looking 747 aircraft on the tarmac here today -- distinguishable from other 747s only by its glass, bulb-shaped nose -- could one day be the silver bullet that shoots ballistic missiles out of the sky.

But what’s revolutionary about the prototype Airborne Laser aircraft, which arrived last night after its first nonstop cross-country flight, is that it won’t use bullets to take out its target, explained Air Force Col. John Daniels, program director.

It will use light.
...
The Airborne Laser is being developed as an integral part of the ballistic missile defense system to protect the United States, its allies and its deployed troops against a ballistic missile attack, he explained. An advanced detection-and-tracking system, state-of-the-art optics and a high-energy laser would detect a missile launch and track it during the boost phase.

The world’s largest turret assembly, encased in the glass-enclosed aircraft nose, would track the missile and determine a precise aim point. A laser would measure disturbances in the atmosphere and adjust the on-board optics to account for them.

That's right, we've put a giant laser on a 747, and plan to fly them around and shoot down missiles.

This seems like another case of man's (and men in particular, who like toys to play with) never-ending search for perfect security. Ultimately, though I think this is mostly a story about defense contractors - the real movers and shakers behind these crazy expensive boondoggles.

But you do have to wonder about the strategic and diplomatic implications of flying laser weapons - do you really think they'll only use them for defense?

Here's a picture of the plane on the runway: