Editing Strategic Defense Initiative (section)

===Chemical laser===
[[File:Slbd front.jpg|thumb|right|SeaLite Beam Director, commonly used as the output for the MIRACL]]
{{See also|Chemical laser}}
Beginning in 1985, the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] tested an SDIO-funded [[Hydrogen fluoride laser|deuterium fluoride laser]] known as [[MIRACL|Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser]] (MIRACL) at [[White Sands Missile Range]].<ref>{{cite web|title=SDI: Technology, Survivability, and Software|date=May 1988 |url=https://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk2/1988/8837/8837.PDF|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|access-date=November 20, 2022}}</ref> During a simulation, the laser successfully destroyed a Titan missile booster in 1985. However, the test setup had the booster shell pressurized and under considerable compression loads. These test conditions were used to simulate the loads a booster would be under during launch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mda.mil/mdaLink/html/milstone.html |title=The Missile Defense Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224034505/http://www.mda.mil/mdaLink/html/milstone.html |archive-date=December 24, 2008 |author=U.S. Department of Defense}}</ref> The system was later tested for the US Navy on target drones simulating cruise missiles, with some success. After SDIO closed, MIRACL was tested on an old Air Force satellite for potential use as an [[anti-satellite weapon]], with mixed results. The technology was also used to develop the [[Tactical High Energy Laser]] (THEL) that was tested against in-flight artillery shells.<ref>{{cite web|author=Federation of American Scientists|url=https://fas.org/spp/military/program/asat/miracl.htm |title=Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409030521/https://fas.org/spp/military/program/asat/miracl.htm |archive-date=April 9, 2015 |access-date= April 8, 2006}}</ref>

During the mid-to-late 1980s panel discussions took place at various [[The International Conference on Lasers and Applications, Lasers 'XX|laser conferences]]. Proceedings include papers on the status of chemical and other high-power lasers.<ref name="Lasers87" />

The [[Missile Defense Agency]]'s [[Boeing YAL-1|Airborne Laser]] program used a chemical laser that intercepted a missile taking off, so an offshoot of SDI could be said to have successfully implemented one of the key goals of the program.<ref>{{Cite web |access-date=2024-07-05 |language=vi|url=http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090609_8318.php |title=Airborne Laser Undergoes Successful Test |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624170838/http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090609_8318.php|archive-date=June 24, 2009|date=June 9, 2009|publisher= NTI: Global Security Newswire}}</ref>