June 22, 2007 1:09 PM PDT
Capt. Tim O'Grady, chief of the Air Combat Command's Directed Energies Analysis Branch, points to a missile casing that's meant to show what the laser weapon could do to a ballistic missile in flight. The Airborne Laser wouldn't burn through the target, Hollywood-style, but rather would heat up and weaken the shell of the missile, causing it to break apart. The goal would be to fire at the missile shortly after launch, when it's most vulnerable.
Photo by Air Force photo by Bobby Jones
