Airborne Laser

The ABL weapon system consists of a high-energy, chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted on a modified 747-400F (freighter) aircraft to shoot down theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase. A crew of four, including pilot and copilot, would be required to operate the airborne laser, which would patrol in pairs at high altitude, about…

Nuclear UAV Drones Could Fly for Months at a Time

A General Atomics MQ-9 (aka Predator B, Reaper or Guardian) UAV drone’s flight duration could be increased from days to months with the addition of a nuclear power source according to military research. Nuclear-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that would increase operational flight durations from days to months are a technological possibility today, according to…