Posted on 11/15/2004 9:56:50 AM PST by West Coast Conservative
The United States has reported a successful ground-based test of an airborne laser meant to intercept ballistic missiles.
The Missile Defense Agency said the megawatt-class laser underwent a successful test on Nov. 10. The Pentagon agency said the laser was operated in a ground-based demonstration at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Officials said this marked the first time that a directed energy weapon meant for use in a Boeing 747 aircraft has been demonstrated.
The test, which lasted a fraction of a second, involved the simultaneous firing of all six laser modules and associated optics that comprise the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser. Officials said the modules,built by Northrop Grumman, performed as expected.
Officials said the test was conducted in the framework of the Airborne Laser project. "It was the first time that multiple modules of the powerful laser had ever been fired while linked together as a single unit," the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement on Nov. 10. "In the test, the laser light produced by the six modules was fired into a wall of metal called a calorimeter or beam dump. The temperature rise of the metal was used to validate that laser power was generated."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldtribune.com ...
and there was much rejoicing
thanx to ronald reagan who had the foresight to beleive in this method of securing us from missile attack.
Yep, Raytheon, Northrup & Boeing have been working on this since the days of RWR. Cheers.
Amen. Not only believe in it, but start the ball rolling to make it happen. Just read that the new Chinese subs will be able to hit almost any target in the US.
Keep up the good work. For a successful, comprehensive defense against nuclear strike we need more than kill vehicles. A laser network should shore up that defense.
and they said that it oculdn't be done that the physics didn't work. i guess these guys didn't get that memo.
Kerry, Schumer, Ted Kennedy, Fine-Swine, Barney "The Queer" Franks, and Hillary "The Queen" Clinton are indeed very very saddened.
Layered defense is the key. We need Aegis systems to take out missiles in the boost phase, space interceptors to take out missiles during the ballistic arc, airborne lasers to take out missiles during re-entry and ground based missiles to take them out during the terminal phase. These systems need to all work together to provide a high confidence of protection.
I also remember the dems lisping that you can't shoot a bullet with a bullet, in regards to another Reagan anti ballistic missile defense system. Fortunately, that technology is also reaping rewards.
For cruise missiles the F-14 has lookdown/shootdown capabilities. Perhaps place an airwing or two on each coast on standby, dedicated wholy to cruise missile air defense. They should manufacture the planes brand-new so that they will be able to stand years of rugged low altitude flying. Just my opinion. I agree on your points.
Were the KE kill vehicles an American PR attempt at a "humanitarian" nuclear defense?
Nuclear ABMs would not go over well at all, but they would be badly needed and desirable.
reckon we know who was right and who was wrong. consistently.
Don't forget the ascent phase weapons.
There was something in the mid 1980s called Homing Overlay Experiment (HOE) which was described as the technological equivalent of hitting a bullet in flight with another bullet. The fact is a comprehensive multi-layer ABM system CAN and WILL work effectively, but it must be an all or nothing effort. We need to mobilize our system of National Laboratories (ORNL, Los Alamos, Hanford, etc.) and get this ball rolling like never before. A system of multi-megawatt class lasers dispersed high on mountains could fire at mirrored satellites. Is that too far out?
The Airborne Laser (ABL) is designed to take out missle in the boost phase, NOT the terminal phase.
It works by puncturing the booster during launch, and the aeronautic loads tear the missle apart.
A huge multi-megaton warhead fired by a rapid ascension missile could blow up clusters of ascending missiles (before they deploy MIRVs). We need to research submarine detection capabilities via satellite. Then, if we confirm a Chinese nuclear strike we can take out remaining subs within minutes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.