Boeing contracted to begin developing truck-mounted mobile laser

Boeing has been working with the government on different military laser applications (the Airborne Laser is one example), and it's just been awarded another contract to begin development on a truck-mounted mobile system. The new contract for the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD), valued at approximately $7,000,000, calls for the design and development of a beam control system which will be mounted to a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck like the one shown above. If the government exercises the options contained in this contract and has Boeing go beyond this initial phase of development, the value could rise to $50 million. The ultimate goal is to create a mobile laser weapon effective against a variety of incoming projectiles, which is pretty awesome-sounding when you get right down to it. A tip of the cap goes to The Register, for cutting through all the acronyms and calling the project "trucks mounted with frikkin' laser beams."