Airborne Laser Completes 1st Test Against Missile

Boeing Missile Defense Systems ^ | Aug. 13, 2009 | Marc Selinger, Chuck Cadena

[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.

[Neidermeyer]

That was the first thing I thought of too ... reflecting 90%+ of the power directed at it would work well..

[The Duke]

The beam is going to vaporize everything in its path, clouds, moisture, anything that absorbs even a fraction of the energy will boil away. May even ionize the air some?

But not birds ... right? We wouldn't want to vaporize some birds to save the nation.

[Nervous Tick]

>> The Chinese or Russians have nothing like the ABL.

Not yet, but Hillary and/or Bill will take care of that detail on their next trip to China or NoKo.

[RoadTest]

We’re here! We’re here! We’re in the Buck Rogers age!

And the Animal Farm age.

[RoadTest]

“>> The Chinese or Russians have nothing like the ABL.

Not yet, but Hillary and/or Bill will take care of that detail on their next trip to China or NoKo.”

You’re right. That’s where Russia and China have gotten ALL their modern military technology.

[ThunderSleeps]

But not birds ... right? We wouldn't want to vaporize some birds to save the nation.

Grin, why no, of course not. That's actually been the hold up of the entire program. They had to develop a combination of powerful airborne radars and sensitive IR and visual band sensors, use sophisticated data-fusion algorithms... All so they could detect any wildlife in the area that might be adversely affected by a discharge of the laser. Obviously the battle manager beam planning routines take this into account when determining shot-opportunities... :-)

And of course, since obama is all about transparency and being a good "world citizen" (except when it comes to birth certificates I guess)... If we were ever to put ABL into use in an operational scenario I'm sure he'd issue orders that would reflect his sensitivity to the world stage... "Hey NK, please warn your citizens we have an ABL aircraft orbiting 75 miles off your coast, due east of your missile field at {some unpronounceable name}. Notify your citizens that if they see a smoke trail of one of your missiles headed up, not to look up and avert their eyes - we don't want to hurt anyone."

[BOBTHENAILER]

Not to worry. Obamadinejad and Gates have already slashed funding and are poised to KILL THE PROGRAM OUTRIGHT, according a WSJ article. BASTARDS

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574348822530004230.html

[JrsyJack]

But will it lance a volcano?

[AFPhys]

Thank you.

This scientist/engineer was ALWAYS of the educated opinion that this could be done, and would be done in time. I believe it should have been accomplished sooner, but that is not the fault of Reagan, or others like me.

[Imnidiot]

Guess which leader recently canceled this program.