The Airborne Laser aircraft arrived at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 21 to begin a test phase that will see lasers fired from the jet in flight for the first time.  

During those tests, which will occur over the next several months, the modified Boeing 747-400F will fire its two solid-state illuminator lasers at the NC-135E Big Crow test aircraft to verify ABL's ability to track an airborne target and measure atmospheric turbulence. ABL will aim the illuminators at an instrumented target board located on a missile-shaped image painted on the Big Crow.

Before the aircraft left for Edwards, the ABL team fully integrated the beam control/fire control system inside the jet at Boeing's facilities in Wichita, Kan. Also in Wichita, the team added floor reinforcements and chemical-fuel tanks to the back of the aircraft to prepare for installing the missile-killing, high-energy chemical laser, which will happen at Edwards this year.

Boeing is the prime contractor for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's ABL program, which will provide a speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight. The program's first missile shoot-down test is scheduled for late 2008.

Sweet!  Those are just the baby lasers though, I want to see them fire off the big daddy!  

Sweeeet. I remember reading about this in Popular Mechanics when I was a kid. It was all a dream back then though.

Are they planing on having one in the air at all times/or are they going to have them ready to take off when needed?

Star Destroyers are next

So… could it deal with a dozen S-400's ripple fired at it?

ANdy