Jane’s reports the following:
Thales aims directed-energy weapon at ground, naval applications. Thales Air Systems Division is working on a joint development project with the Ecole Polytechnique engineering school in Orsay, France, to develop a directed-energy weapon (DEW) for ground and naval applications. Project Director Philippe Antier of Weapon Systems, Thales Air Systems Division, told Jane’s that the aim of the project is to provide a capability against missiles, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to a range of up to 10 km as a complement to very-short-range air-defence (VSHORAD) systems, with the goal of having the system operational by 2015
When it is steam boat time, you steam…
Operational by 2089.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: [talking about nuclear fallout shelters] If you have the weapons, you need the shelters.
James Hacker: Sometimes I wonder if we need the weapons.
Appleby: Minister! You’re not a unilateralist?
Hacker: Well… I sometimes wonder.
Appleby: Then you must resign from the government!
Hacker: Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no. I’m not *that* unilateralist! Anyway, the Americans will always protect us from the Russians.
Appleby: Russians? Who’s talking about the Russians?
Hacker: Well, the independent deterrent.
Appleby: It’s to protect us against the French!
operational 2015, white flags found waving from the ends 2016
Al,
The French have today the means to kick the asses of every nation on earth.
Its time to move on from May1940, if you stay stuck in the past, the futur will be a bitter surprise for you and your lot.
Don’t take it so hard, Paul. I’m sure it was May 1954 he had in mind.