In A First, Airborne Laser Destroys Target

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced last week that the Airborne Laser (ABL) testbed destroyed a ballistic missile target during a trial over the Pacific Ocean, reports the Air Force News Service.

This was the first ever successful shootdown of a boosting ballistic missile.

The test at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range, Calif., served as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology, officials said.

During the Feb. 11...