Defense contractor, Northrop Grumman — maker of a system to protect planes from shoulder-fired missiles, is trying to tap a market that bridges the military and civilian worlds.
The anti-missile systems work by detecting incoming missiles and emitting an eye-safe laser beam that interferes with the missiles’ guidance system and deflects the missile away from the plane.
More at CNN.com
Israel has decided against buying a U.S.-produced anti-rocket laser for the border with the Hamas-run Gaza Strip because of the device’s poor performance in field tests, a top Israeli defence official said on Monday.
Israeli state arms firm Rafael is developing Iron Dome, which is designed to shoot down Palestinian rockets from Gaza with miniature missiles, but that system is not expected to be operational before 2010.
More at Reuters AlertNet
According Danger Room, Northrop topped Boeing in a $635 million contract to develop the carrier-based drone, X-47B, which is now set to begin flying in November ‘09. It may equip with both laser and high-power microwave (HPM) weapons.
A video from B.E. Meyers, which shows a military convoy in Afghanistan zapping bicyclists and motorists as a way to clear traffic. I don’t see any need to use a laser though.
Via: Danger Room
Residents of a southern Israeli town want a real-life laser cannon to protect them against Palestinian rocket attacks. And they’re suing the national government, for failing to provide the ray gun defense. Danger Room from Wired.com
Connecticut police use laser-equipped firearms to improve their accuracy.
Officers say they are now better prepared to deal with gunfights like the 2002 shootout between an Ansonia man and police outside the former Boston Billiards on lower Black Rock Turnpike.
The Police Department has acquired lasers for their .40-caliber Glock duty weapons using asset forfeiture funds from a prostitution investigation several years ago. The department bought 110 lasers, enough for every officer’s gun, at a cost of $229 each, said Capt. Gary MacNamara.
The Bush administration officially notified Congress Monday of its intention to sell sophisticated precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia. The action, coinciding with President Bush’s visit to Saudi Arabia, is part of a broader U.S. effort to bolster Gulf allies in the face of a more assertive Iran. VOA’s David Gollust reports from the State Department. via: Israel News
“Anti-missile lasers will be installed on three American Airlines planes that fly from Kennedy Airport to California as part of a $29 million federal program to see whether the devices can protect commercial aircraft from attacks.
The gizmos – which detect heat from a rocket and then fire a jamming beam – will be operational but won’t be tested on regular passenger flights, the airline said. They have already been tested on non-passenger planes. These tests will examine how the system weathers continuous takeoffs and landings.
The Department of Homeland Security is spending $29 million on the program – and Sen. Chuck Schumer said he’s glad the testing is moving along.
‘We have fought for these for a long time to make sure that our planes are safe,’ said Schumer (D-New York). ‘”
ONLINE – International News Network: “Central Information Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party, Sherry Rehman has said that Benazir Bhutto was targeted with modern laser gun.”
Boeings Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight, then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser, destroying enemy missiles near their launch areas.
