Pentagon to Use Lasers to Warn Pilots

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon said Monday it will use lasers to warn pilots when they've flown into restricted airspace near the Capitol, even though federal officials have warned that terrorists might use the beams of light to blind pilots as they approach airports.

There have been more than 100 incidents nationwide since November in which laser beams have been flashed into cockpits. The aircraft all landed safely, but federal aviation officials are concerned that a laser could be used to blind pilots and cause a crash.

The FBI has investigated many of the incidents, and last month a New Jersey man was indicted for allegedly pointing a powerful green laser beam at a small passenger jet.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said its laser warning system will start in 30 to 45 days. The low-intensity lights are less powerful than the ones that prompted warnings, and tests have shown they are safe for the eyes, according to NORAD.

NORAD spokesman Michael Kucharek said the laser-based warning system someday could replace fighter jets as a way to warn pilots to stay away from the Capitol and the White House.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-lasers-planes,0,294792.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Orsino]

1. The terrorists have won. n/t

[Rose Siding]

4. Isn't the whole point of warning them away to make sure it isn't...

some kind of attack? Do they just plan on shooting down anyone who doesn't respond to the laser? Considering lasers are available to the public, seems like this could cause some real confusion.

[daleo]

2. At least they know this is effective.

It is fortunate for the Pentagon that some volunteers have tested this concept over the past few months.

[damntexdem]

3. Yikes, something just blinded me, I'm going lower.

Maybe all those laser-on-pilot 'incidents' were just tests of the new NORAD system.

[neuvocat]

5. AAIIIIEEEE!!! I'm gonna crash into the Pentagon!!!

Geez. Whatever happened to the good old days of using military aircraft to patrol important government buildings? Can't they afford to do that anymore?

[KittyWampus]

6. Civilian Application Of Star Wars/Militarization Of Space?

Maybe the contractors working on Star Wars stuff wants to make some money so this is a side shoot of that?

[Dave Reynolds]

7. They're trying to blind us! No, wait, they're trying to warn us!

No wait,...what the fuck is it THIS week?

[NYC]

8. I'm waiting to find out what happens to the man

from Newark.