Posted on 12/12/2005 4:02:19 PM PST by Paul Ross
Airborne Laser Completes Laser Ground Tests
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 12, 2005 -- The Boeing-led [NYSE: BA] Airborne Laser team announced today the successful completion of a series of tests involving its high energy laser at the Systems Integration Lab at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. During this test series, lasing duration and power were demonstrated at levels suitable for the destruction of multiple classes of ballistic missiles. This is the second of two program significant knowledge points planned for 2005.
Airborne Laser's (ABL) megawatt-class Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) is designed and built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC). Lasing tests included more than 70 separate lasing events. The laser has been operated at simulated altitude, and achieved steady state operations under full optical control.
In July 2005, the ABL team completed the year's first knowledge point, which was flight testing of the system's passive mission payload at Edwards Air Force Base. During those tests, the team demonstrated the stability and alignment of the two Beam Control and Fire Control optical benches with the turret. That test also demonstrated the system's pointing and vibration control functions, as well as its ability to acquire targets as directed by the battle management segment.
With the completion of the above milestones for 2005, the program now proceeds to integrated systems testing. The ABL YAL-1A aircraft has transitioned to Boeing's Wichita facility to undergo final aircraft modifications for installation of the High Energy Laser modules and to begin Low Power System Integration-Active ground and flight testing. During active testing, the kilowatt-class illuminator lasers will be integrated and tested to demonstrate target acquisition, fine tracking, pointing and atmospheric compensation. Upon completion of active testing, the YAL-1 will return to Edwards Air Force Base for installation of the High Energy Laser, which will be removed from the System Integration Laboratory. This will be followed by extensive weapon systems testing on the aircraft -- both ground and flight.
"This is a major technological achievement for the Airborne Laser program," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "Proving the capability of this laser to operate at lethal levels of power and duration moves the system a major step closer to becoming a vital component of the nation's boost phase defense against a ballistic missile threat. We have made continued steady progress on this program breaking new technological ground every day, with each test increment leading to the lethal shoot down milestone."
The ABL consists of a megawatt-class, high-energy Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser placed on a Boeing 747-400 aircraft. ABL is a key component of the Missile Defense Agency's overall ballistic missile defense architecture. In operation, the ABL's sensor system will autonomously detect and track an enemy's boosting missile, determine its position and destroy it with the high energy laser. The ABL's sensor system also identifies the launch location and predicts the impact location, which is communicated to other elements in the missile defense architecture.
Boeing provides the modified aircraft and battle management segments and is the weapon system integrator. ABL partners include Northrop Grumman, which provides the laser segment, as well as the Beacon Illuminator. Northrop Grumman is the world's leading developer of mega-watt class COIL lasers. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is the third partner and provides the beam control / fire control segment which contains state-of-the-art optics for control of the solid state illuminators for tracking and atmospheric compensation as well as the High Energy Laser. Lockheed also provides ABL's flight turret assembly.
FYI
Hmm... but what would happen if the enemy warhead [and the body of the missile, if need be] are given high quality mirror finish/coating? These would not degrade by themselves until burning off on re-entry, i.e. uncomfortably close to the intended target.
The U.S.A.F. has to get this weapon system in service ASAP. There are way to many nuts in this world in possesion of nuclear tipped ballistic missiles.
Who said that StarWars was worthless?
Hopefully Congress continues funding this system through its development through its activation.
check this out.
Heck of a cigar lighter.....
My understanding is that a proper, effective mirror coating would add so much weight to the missle that it couldn't deliver an effective payload for a usable range.
Maybe Alamo-girl knows the details?
Not sure. The metal outer cover could be merely polished, with no weight increment. And a mirror reflecting only 95% of the falling light [i.e. rather lousy mirror] would be absorbing 16 times less energy than a "neutral grey" object. A better quality mirror would necessitate even higher laser beam power levels.
Well, ya know, those highway deal are real important, not to mention funding for the rock and roll museum...there may not be enough money in the budget with all the other real priorities...
Well, ya know, those highway deal are real important, not to mention funding for the rock and roll museum...there may not be enough money in the budget with all the other real priorities...
How about some operational tests over Iran????
Depends quite a bit on the wavelength of the laser beam. Not to mention, these things are mega-watt range. I doubt you could get anything through the atmosphere without picking up something. I work with industrial lasers every day, a fleck of dust on a lens is enough to cause a burn spot and wreck the lens. Scale that up to Mega-watt ranges and even water condensate on the surface of the missile has probably enough absorbtion to make the polish unimportant. We're talking about beam spots several feet across with mega-watts of energy. I know the mirrors in the lasers I deal with are Molbdnenum, tough as hell, but I suspect way too heavy and impossible to clad a missile with it. Anything else and the laser is just going to burn through it.
I suspect this has been taken into account by these guys, which is why it's SO powerful. Even if only a few percent gets absorbed, it's prolly way more that it would need.
I hear rumours that in White House there are voices to cancel the project. I hope it's not true. This is the very few of the only defense systems targeting the boost phase. ABL is our hope.
Besides, Essentially, adding tremendous weight and expense you mean? :-) The old anti-SDI crowd always made these silly arguments that the boosters could be 'hardened' against boost-phase attacks. Maybe if resources were infinite. Most of the major threats we see today operate on a shoe-string, however, from the Iranians, Pakistanis, North Koreans... Even the Chinese.
Only the Russians might be able to pull off something like that hardening as surmised.
As for the warhead, the system would not have any direct effect on that, as
Pat Shanahan of Boeing made it clear that this is is a boost-phase defense: "Proving the capability of this laser to operate at lethal levels of power and duration moves the system a major step closer to becoming a vital component of the nation's boost phase defense against a ballistic missile threat.
Boost-phase attack is the most attractive because it is the most vulnerable area of the missile system. It is a big flaring IR (InfraRed) signature, for one. Easily targetted. Second, it is extrordinarily vulnerable because it has to be kept thin and light just to get off the ground...or to deliver a payload worth the expense. Even the solid rocket boosters (such as China's brand spanking new "East Wind" DF-31) are at risk of destruction by an attack from this system. Their guidance rockets are typically liquid...
This way beyond cooking ants with a magnifying lens, ain't it?
Whatever happened to the "Rods from God" program?
I was talking about mirror polishing the outer skin, rather then adding a big mirror. That would not add weight.
Our old Atlas missiles had a bright aluminum skin, virtually a polished finish. That would have not protected them from this attack.
For the uninitiated, it calls for creating a system of metal poles, fired from space, that could strike anywhere on the planet. It's a long-held -- and long-ridiculed -- idea.
Keeping the rods from liquefying as they enter the atmosphere is a daunting task. In order to be considered effective weapons, the rods would need to be orbited at very low altitudes, and could only deliver one-ninth the destructive energy per gram as a conventional bomb.
Wouldn't this laser have to be so accurate that it only fires when it knows it will hit the target and immediately stop once the target is destroyed? If not, wouldn't this beam go on to destroy an unintended target?
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