Boeing announces a successful test of the Advanced Tactical Laser:

he Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 30 defeated a ground target from the air with the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, demonstrating ATL's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a tactically representative target.

During the test, the C-130H aircraft took off from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and fired its high-power chemical laser through its beam control system while flying over White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The beam control system acquired the ground target -- an unoccupied stationary vehicle -- and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL's battle management system. The laser beam's energy defeated the vehicle.

As this test proves, the Laser has huge potential as a tool for assassination. Lasers have the potential to zap individual bad guys without causing the same kind of collateral damage as a Hellfire missile or small-diameter bomb. There are no pictures of the "defeated" vehicle, but I have a call into Air Force public affairs at the base and am waiting to hear back with some kind of description of the damage the laser inflicted on the target. Will update with more info when possible.

Update: I confused ABL and ATL in an earlier version of this post -- I haven't been keeping up with my lasers.