Posted on 08/14/2009 10:46:14 PM PDT by gandalftb
EDWARDS AFB, CA - The Boeing Company and the US Missile Defense Agency successfully completed the Airborne Laser's (ABL) first in-flight test against an instrumented target missile, achieving a historic milestone.
During the test, the modified Boeing 747-400F used its infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from San Nicolas Island, Calif. The battle management system aboard ABL issued engagement and target location instructions to the beam control/fire control system, which acquired the target and fired its two solid-state illuminator lasers to track the target and measure atmospheric conditions.
ABL then fired a surrogate high-energy laser at the target, simulating a missile intercept. Instrumentation on the target verified that the surrogate high-energy laser hit the target.
"This test demonstrates that the Airborne Laser can fully engage an in-flight missile with its battle management and beam control/fire control systems," said Michael Rinn, Boeing vice president and ABL program director. "Pointing and focusing a laser beam on a target that is rocketing skyward at thousands of miles per hour is no easy task, but the Airborne Laser is uniquely able to do the job."
ABL will now undergo flight tests in which the aircraft will fire its high-energy laser, first into an onboard calorimeter, then through its beam control/fire control system.
The ABL team then will test the entire weapon system against in-flight missiles, culminating with ABL's first high-energy laser intercept test against a ballistic missile later this year.
ABL would deter potential adversaries and provide speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight. Eliminating missiles in their boost phase would reduce the number of shots required by other elements of the layered ballistic missile defense system.
"ABL's revolutionary speed, mobility, precision and lethality would make it a great asset to America's warfighters," Rinn added.
(Excerpt) Read more at boeing.mediaroom.com ...
Within a year we will be able to deploy fully operational weapons grade lasers able to knock down any missile, hundreds of miles away in the boost phase. This is the first missile defense of its kind.
N Korea, Iran, whomever, their missiles will be useless. This is the game changer.
Time will tell if Obama would allow this system to be fully developed.
ping
The test managed to get a tagging laser to illuminate the test missile. How steadily is not stated.
Being able to illuminate a hostile missile would greatly help antimissile missiles to home in on it. This would probably be more practical than trying to burn the missile down with a laser from hundreds of miles away, particularly when weather makes the atmosphere almost opaque.
ABL 747 cutaway.
And they said it couldn’t be done!
You can fire a laser from any target as long it is enough power and has a tracking mirror. If you are firing from space you need a larger mirror. White Sands Missile Range has the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility.
The ABL range is about 360 miles for liquid-fueled missiles, while the aircraft loiters at an altitude of 40,000ft. That covers all of N Korea and the outer 2/3 of Iran.
They tagged the missile.
Keeping enough laser on it steadily to burn it up, despite intervening clouds and any reflective/refractory coating on the missile itself, is another thing.
My information on the the Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser (ABL) weapons system is a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser It is primarily designed as a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), while in boost phase. The low-power lasers have been test-fired in flight, aimed at an airborne target board.In theory, the ABL could be used against hostile fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, or even low-earth-orbit satellites (see anti-satellite weapon). However, as they are not its intended target, the capability against them is unknown.
We’ll be shooting at 40,000 feet and weather won’t be as much an issue. Liquid fuel will be the easiest to knock down by hitting the big tanks. Solid-fuel knock down would be about half the maximum range.
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/doc_src/ABL_overview.pdf
Here is the Boeing Backrounder
Liquid-fuel tanks are obviously the easiest to light up. You’re right, there is no end to the available targets. Certainly we will be making major improvements in power and target aquisition.
I agree. The military applications of the new weapons is endless.
If well above clouds, that would work better to be sure.
I hope some hapless jet liner isn’t in the way, as they cruise at such altitudes.
Also, I wonder if bright plating all external surfaces of the missile that are not already refractory would be an effective countermeasure.
Imagine what could be smoked on the ground.
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