Remember the old science fiction stories about death rays and laser beams flashing across the battlefield, and targets exploding instantly when they get touched by one?

Welcome to that day, coming to you within a decade.

The new American Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) being developed will be fitted with a 100-kilowatt laser cannon which will be powered by the jet engines of the aircraft.

For more information on the JSF, check out this page or this site. The 'official' page is here, but doesn't give a lot of information. After a lot of analysis of the competing design proposals, the Lockheed-Martin design won - it's the one with twin tails and not a candidate for fugliest aircraft ever designed.

Posted by: Ted at 02:09 PM | category: Military
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1 Cool! Australia is signing up to buy a bunch of these. Can't wait.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 26, 2003 03:12 PM (jtW2s)

2 The X-32 looks like a cartoon duck with an eating disorder.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 26, 2003 03:14 PM (jtW2s)

3 The Boeing should have lost on aesthieics alone. It looks like it was designed by Pixar for the next Bux Lightyear movie. Have they actually gotten that thing off the ground?

Have they found a pilot who wasn't too embarrassed to be seen flying it?

Posted by: StMack at October 26, 2003 03:43 PM (CSxVi)

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