President Ronald Reagan has to be laughing from Heaven, as thirty years ago, Democrats derided Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)–a laser guided weapons system to protect the U.S. from a nuclear attack. Liberals mocked it, nicknaming it “Star Wars.”
It was Reagan’s dream to have a space based defense system that would shoot down Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles that carry nuclear warheads. Lost in history is the fact that the SDI program forced the Soviet Union to invest in the similar costly research, leading to their eventual economic collapse and dissolution in 1991.
As it turns out, the technology developed from this program is spawning a new age of American military might. Laser-based weaponry, known as “directed energy pods,”and in 2013, a Navy destroyer with a mounted laser cannon successfully shot down a test drone. This technology will soon be mounted on U.S. Air Force fighter jets.
The laser weapons will have a profound effect in combating terrorism. The new weapons are far less costly than the current systems consisting of guns and high tech missiles. Laser technology will also limit collateral damage and civilian casualties.
Not only will these new weapons be utilized by war planes, but it is small enough to be mounted on Predator drones, as reported by U.S. World Report:
“The most prominent of the new weapons being developed by the Air Force, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.’s HELLADS system, is compact enough that it can be mounted on a Predator drone and sustain itself on a single lithium ion battery. It is hoped that the HELLADS (short for “High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System”) will be prepared for use on most drones by 2018 and increase the ability of unmanned aircraft to engage in combat.”
Contrast Reagan’s far-reaching strategy to protect America with that of current Barack Obama, where it was recently revealed that several of the more current U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria have targeted construction vehicles. Instead of preventing war, Barack Obama is inspiring future war, as 75% of American missions against ISIS return without ever firing a shot, a claim backed up by Politifact.
While Liberal Democrats talk of cutting military spending and throwing enormous sums of money on failed and corrupt welfare programs, Republicans have stressed a strong military. The Republican strategy is simple: the primary responsible of the federal government is to ensure the safety of Americans and protect the homeland.
If the ineptitude of Obama is not stopped, even the long-term thinking of Ronald Reagan won’t save us.
Follow James on Twitter @NY_2_Carolina
