The Airborne Laser is an Important Part of America’s Missile Defenses -- Tests Prove It

Late this spring, there was a successful in-flight test of the Airborne Laser (ABL) tracking system. Despite this, there is a common misperception that the ABL is an experimental defensive weapon that has no practical use. On some level, this misperception is understandable.

After all, lasers may be commonly used in eye surgery, but the only place most people have seen lasers in battle is in the movies.

No doubt the ABL is super high tech. But it would be a grave mistake to assume that it belongs only in science fiction.

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