Let me just say that this is one of those “it’s about time” things. Lasers have been in development for years, and with the need for pinpoint accuracy to minimize the tragedies that feed the evening news, this is the natural conclusion.

Oddly enough, the first thing that came to mind when I read this was that I’d seen it before… then I had to go digging for the name of the movie: “http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089886/ Real Genius”. Fun movie, tons of great one-liners, and some of Val Kilmer’s best work (IMO), certainly better than his Batman effort.

New weapon could mean the end of collateral damage

The U.S. military has been developing a gunship that could literally obliterate enemy ground targets with a laser beam.

The military plans to test the Advanced Tactical Laser, a laser weapon mounted on a C-130H air transport that could destroy any weapon system without collateral damage.

The laser could have tremendous repercussions on the battlefield, particularly in urban warfare in such countries as Afghanistan and Iraq. “It’s the kind of tool that could bring about victory within minutes,” an official said.

While I don’t buy into the “victory within minutes” scenario, I do think it’s about time we got around to using our blatantly superior technology in ways that can destroy the enemy without yielding him the advantage of hiding amongst innocent civilians. I hope we’re able to put this thing to work sooner, rather than later…