Zapping a ballistic missile

The Airborne Laser did find some success on various test ranges on several occasions in 2010 and 2011. For instance, in February 2010, the aircraft took aim at a short-range "threat representative" liquid-fueled ballistic missile fired at sea, and within two minutes of the launch, while the missile's rocket motors were still firing, the ABL's chemical-fueled laser weapon had heated a pressurized segment of the missile to "critical structural failure," according to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

The image sequence here shows the infrared trail of the target missile breaking up in flight as it was zapped.

"With this successful experiment, the Airborne Laser Testbed has blazed a path for a new generation of high-energy, ultra-precision weaponry," Michael Rinn, vice president and ALTB program director at Boeing, said in a statement. "ALTB technology and future directed-energy platforms will transform how the United States defends itself and its friends and allies. Having the capability to precisely project force, in a measured way, at the speed of light, will save lives."