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Airborne laser moves on to next stage
Valley Press on ^ | Tuesday, September 4, 2007 | ALLISON GATLIN

Posted on 09/04/2007 8:10:29 PM PDT by BenLurkin

EDWARDS AFB - The airborne laser ballistic missile defense system has successfully completed flight testing of its beam control and fire control systems and now moves on to installation of the destructive high-energy laser in preparation for airborne test firings in 2009. A Missile Defense Agency program testing for the airborne laser - in flight and on the ground - is housed at Edwards Air Force Base in the former B-2 stealth bomber facility. Flight tests are conducted over the Pacific Ocean off the California coast.

A high-energy chemical laser, fired through a rotating turret on the airplane's nose, is used to puncture a hole in the missile's pressurized fuel tank, causing it to rupture. In this way, the laser uses the missile's own fuel and pressure to bring it down.

The airborne laser also uses three other solid-state lasers for targeting and to adjust the high-energy beam to compensate for atmospheric conditions. These lasers constitute the beam control/fire control system.

During the flight testing, which concluded Aug. 23, these low-power lasers were employed against "Big Crow," a C-135 aircraft with a missile painted on the side.

A surrogate high-energy laser beam was successfully directed on the painted target missile, using the low-powered lasers to find and track the target, determine the range and compensate for atmospheric conditions.

"The completion of low-power system flight tests is a key milestone for the Airborne Laser team," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "These tests demonstrate that ABL can fully engage a threat missile with its battle management and beam control/fire control systems. We are now ready to install the high-energy laser in the aircraft to prepare for the first intercept test against an in-flight ballistic missile."

(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: aerospacevalley; airbornelaser; allisongatlin; antelopevalley
"The airborne laser system is designed to use a high-energy laser mounted in a highly modified 747 aircraft to destroy a ballistic missile while it is still in the boost phase shortly after launch."
1 posted on 09/04/2007 8:10:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin


All I ask for is a airplane with a frickin' laser beam on it! Is that so much to ask?!

2 posted on 09/04/2007 8:14:10 PM PDT by Reaganesque (Romney for President 2008)
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To: Reaganesque

are theses reports of successive tests reliable ?

I would think that by the time these types of reports are released, bad guys world wide have operational systems pointd at their heads

another question: are these systems viable against a reeeally reeeaaalllyyy, mirror-like skinned missle?


3 posted on 09/04/2007 8:22:35 PM PDT by daku ("My dream continues with ferocity, thank you.")
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To: daku

Making the missiles shiny will not protect them from this laser.


4 posted on 09/04/2007 8:29:14 PM PDT by Reaganesque (Romney for President 2008)
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To: daku
I would think that by the time these types of reports are released, bad guys world wide have operational systems pointd at their heads

If the military is willing to release info about a project, odds are they have already tackled the next step. There is no need to keep it secret anymore because there's even better stuff waiting in the wings. This is targeted specifically at those bad guys.

...are these systems viable against a reeeally reeeaaalllyyy, mirror-like skinned missle?

Any mirrors would have to be optically perfect to deflect the beam. Any imperfections (dirt, fingerprints, abrasions from travelling through the atmosphere...) would absorb energy.

5 posted on 09/04/2007 8:39:28 PM PDT by uglybiker (relaxing in a luxuriant cloud of quality, aromatic, pre-owned tobacco essence)
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To: BenLurkin

Thank you RWR, GHWB, Henry Hyde and Duncan Hunter!!


6 posted on 09/04/2007 9:09:32 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: uglybiker

yes thats true but the same can be said for any particulate in the atmosphere, like water vapor (clouds) any info on how clouds or humitity will effect range?


7 posted on 09/04/2007 9:26:50 PM PDT by cwool
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To: uglybiker

I figure Americans are the last people to know about the “new” high weapons we have.


8 posted on 09/04/2007 11:11:32 PM PDT by jwh_Denver (If you see a phrase used 40,000 times on FR, jump right in and use it.)
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