Lets face it, a 747 loitering near even a nation with limited air defense capability very vulnerable. However, given the fact that they are only planning 7 of them says this program is a proof of concept. Once it's proved that this stuff works, then your justification for a longer ranged system has written itself...

the same stuff on the space shuttle - all the laser does is heat the skin of the missile - so if this is highly insulated, then the ABL is a bit useless! ;)

http://libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=226017

Reports a Russian "expert" as commenting > "We tested a similar system back in 1972. Even then our ‘laser cannon was capable of hitting targets with high precision." "We have moved far ahead since then, and the U.S. has to keep pace with our research and development," he added.

A comment which must be considered as entertainment, since it succeeded in short order in summoning the neanderthals from out of the woodwork. Here is one working the hamster wheel:

> 19. To: Russki (#16)

"It also gives us sense that your country has our eventual destruction on it's agenda."

We're comin' for you right after the moslem "problem" is fixed:)

We want your fine tall womenfolk. <

Probably the true Neanderthals also appreciated conventional military logic, that to stand a reasonable chance of prevailing in a scrummage against the cavemen from the other valley you need a numerical superiority of about 3 or 4 to 1, whether in numbskulls, nukes, or postings of nonsense on the intertubes. It was a homo sapiens called Archimedes who conclusively articulated the value of asymmetry when he said, Give me a lever and I will move the Earth. And he wasn't thinking of Mrs Archimedes.

Is there life on Mars? (Yes, but don't tell the cavemen).

Once this is a viable production ready system, you can expect it to be deployed in orbit. The USA might not admit doing so. Considering the flight path of an ICBM, orbit is probably the most useful place for the laser.

Of course, stealthy cruise missiles - which everyone who is anyone in the WMD delivery game is working on - are probably hard to hit from orbit.

Also, Rob Briggs has a good point. This thing ought to be useful for a wide range of purposes other than anti-missile.

What about a shiny heatshield?

But I'm thinking this could possibly burn a hole in an enemy warship's exterior, just below the water line causing it to sink, from 400Km away, and no-one would know cos real lasers (as opposed to Star Treks phasers) can't be seen unless passing through a dusty or gassy atmosphere.

I note that the pretty video assumes for some reason that ICBM are launched from Iran...

"Now watch my left hand..."

"Boeing-mounted" my shiny metal butt. Am I the only one who sees this eventually mounted on LEO platforms? (with a couple of converted Bombers for show)

but to burn through a suitably shielded surface, maybe with some ablation layers and / or some other heat dissipation tricks will be tricky. They will need a shitload of energy and some very steady aim. Maybe high up in very thin atmosphere they'll get a chance: less heat dissipation and less turbulent air to mess up their aim. But it may still take a nice and clear day to get that demonstration off the ground.

My bet is on the rocket for anything above ~50 km.

While you are correct to state that mirrors are not an effective defense against very high powered lasers at their optimal range, this laser will likely be losing a lot of energy to the atmosphere. This in turn means that it may be possible for a mirror to reflect enough energy to save the missile, the same goes for a heatshield which works by the miracle of thermal conductivity (Or more correctly, lack thereof).

If you can't get the missile to reach that critical temperature in short order, chances are you've missed your shot and will now have to intercept the missile in other ways.

Surely one can make a mirror to reflect a laser beam, even as powerful as that of the ABL. Even more surely, an ICBM with such mirror will have the range barely longer than V2 or payload no heavier than a handgrenade.