- Who
- Unknown
- What
- first
- Where
- United States (Kirkland Air Force Base,New Mexico)
- When
The first laser gunship was built at Kirkland Air Force Base, New Mexico, USA, when the Boeing Company completed the installation of a high-energy chemical laser on a Hercules C-130H aircraft on 4 December 2007, thus a step further in the development of the Advanced Tactical Laser, which will be able to destroy ground targets more accurately and with less collateral damage than the current operational C-130 gunships or other conventional guns or missiles. Whilst flight tests are planned for 2008, it is still too soon to determine whether or not this first laser gunship will lead to operational deployment on gun-ship type aircraft such as the C-130 or Airbus A-400M, but it is an important milestone in the development programme.
(Flight tests are planned for 2008 under an Advanced Concept Technology Programme and the laser will be fired at representational ground targets such as buildings and trucks.)
