THEL Weapon System
BY Herschel Smith
18 years, 4 months ago
Reuters is reporting:
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (Reuters) – The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency has begun working with Israel to help find ways to counter enemy rockets, a much shorter-range threat than the “Star Wars” mission to block ballistic missiles for which is it known, the head of the agency said on Tuesday.
[ … ]
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency grew out of the so-called “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative launched by then-President Ronald Reagan in 1983. It is building a multibillion-dollar shield designed to thwart all classes and ranges of incoming ballistic missiles.
The United States has a long history of high-tech joint projects with Israel, including co-development of the Arrow, the system Israel has deployed to defend against short- and medium-range missiles.
Until now, the Missile Defense Agency — noted for its work on layered defense against intercontinental missiles — has not been known to be involved in addressing the rocket threat to Israel from Lebanon’s Hizbollah fighters.
Israel’s defense ministry recently asked the Pentagon for information about a next-generation chemical-laser system for intercepting short-range Katushya and Kassam rockets, Globes Online, an online publication, reported on Sunday.
The system at issue, called Skyguard, is built by Northrop Grumman Corp. and based on a tactical high-energy laser the company co-developed with the Israeli army in the 1990s. Northrop, based in Los Angeles, had no immediate comment.
If I am not mistaken, this is the THEL (Tactical High Energy Laser) that I reported on in my post “Moral Asymmetry in Warfare: Israel and Hezbollah.” Information on it can be found here at directed energy weapons. You know the story? For lack of a nail, a horseshoe was lost. For lack of a horse, a captain was lost. For lack of a captain, an army was lost …
Or so goes the little story … I forget the exact details and genesis of the parable.
It would seem that THEL was important enough to fund after all.
On August 16, 2006 at 1:19 am, Hurricane Harry said:
A few thousand rockets can be a good motivator… Better late than never.
If you need an excuse to take a break from the heavy stuff, check this out. I think you’ll enjoy it:
http://hurricaneharry.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-negotiate-with-terrorists.html
Thanks for your post!
Hurricane Harry
Reporting from Beyond The Wall