Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser In Action

This video shows the effect of the high-energy laser beam from the Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL), fired at a stationary truck from a US Air Force NC-130H flying over White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on August 30, 2009. The ATL is a chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL), and is a scaled-down version of the megawatt-class high-energy laser in the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser (ABL). ABL and ATL are both technology demonstration programs. For more, check Aviation Week's Ares blog.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[EmperorOfMars]

I think they should add sub woofers that play sci-fi laser sounds from 50s movies.

BEW WHEW WHEW WHEW!!!!!!!!!

[eyhexs]

so THATS what happened to my truck

[Dogmaf2008]

Probably would be more effective on the wheels.

[Spartan043]

People may scoff at the effects shown here, but some of us realize the advantages that lasers have over projectiles. For one thing, there's no ballistic drop. No delay between fire and impact. That makes them especially useful against thin-skinned targets like SCUDs, parked aircraft, wheeled vehicles or even infantry. When the power density of these weapons reaches a level where you can put a solid-state laser on every attack plane, the battlefield as we know it will be utterly transformed.

[Derpy Hooves]

A little car-wax and that will just rub off.

[samisthebest11]

They are no longer in development

[N SAID]

looks like it would hurt.. it would fit in the same class as napalm, flamethrower and phospherous

[onlyhuman2121]

equivalent to a plasma pistol from halo

[ericthekid92]

RT Podcast

[Dahlheim]

It's ment to be used to single target people in a crowd, without killing surrounding civilians such as a bomb would. Who said anything about it being anti armor?

[MrKingktiger]

I am surprised we even had this technology even if its not as effective as the sci ficition weapons. How come I dont see stuff like this on the news? Whats next an energy shield that can block low caliber bullets?