Posted on 10/14/2009 10:21:49 AM PDT by BradtotheBone
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 19 damaged a moving ground vehicle from the air using the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, completing ATL's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a mobile target. During the test, the C-130H aircraft took off from Kirtland Air Force Base near Albuquerque and fired a high-power chemical laser through its beam control system while flying over White Sands Missile Range.
The beam control system guided the laser beam's energy to the unoccupied, remotely controlled target, striking the vehicle and putting a hole in a fender. The test demonstrated the ability to aim and fire a high-energy laser beam at a moving target.
"In this test, a directed energy weapon successfully demonstrated direct attack on a moving target," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit.
"ATL has now precisely targeted and engaged both stationary and moving targets, demonstrating the transformational versatility of this speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage."
The test occurred less than three weeks after an Aug. 30 test in which ATL damaged an unoccupied stationary vehicle, marking the aircraft's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a tactically representative target.
Boeing developed ATL for the Air Force. ATL demonstrations support the development of laser defense systems that will destroy, damage or disable targets on the battlefield and in urban operations with little to no collateral damage.
The Boeing-led ATL industry team includes L-3 Communications/Brashear, which built the laser turret; HYTEC Inc., which made a variety of the weapon system's structural elements; and J.B. Henderson, which provides mechanical integration support.
Boeing leads the way in developing and integrating laser systems for a variety of customers, including the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy. Besides ATL, these systems include the Airborne Laser, Free Electron Laser, High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator and Tactical Relay Mirror System.
Just the kind of successful missile defense work that will be stripped from the 0 defense budget.
“Real Genius”
Anything that would ACTUALLY defend us...he finds "too costly" or some such crap.
Has anybody noticed besides me that his "shift" to the seabased defense posture (the basis for ditching Poland's land-defense interceptor missiles) ...has not been accompanied by any increase in SEABASED MISSILE DEFENSE FUNDING?! No extra Aegis ships. Zip. Nada. Zilch. And they are already overstretched in their regular missions.
ROTFLMAO
“The beam control system guided the laser beam’s energy to the unoccupied, remotely controlled target, striking the vehicle and putting a hole in a fender. The test demonstrated the ability to aim and fire a high-energy laser beam at a moving target. “
Current tech would put a 105mm shell in the same space and destroy the vehicle.
think about the all the derivative effects of this - not just the military effects. if chemical propellants are no longer needed alternate uses for the raw materials will need to be developed...is gunowder still manufactured from phosphorus and sulfur? or is that just the old school stuff?
The Buck Rodgers ray gun has finally arrived.
the day will come when this newfangled contraption and its follow-on technologies could very well supplant artillery, bombs, and bullets. I do not advocate giving up on what has worked, but this is a capability that is too promising to pass up.
American exceptionalism.
When our enemies found out they couldn’t defeat us because of our technologically superior military, they went into politics en masse and are succeeding in defeating us there. They have a willing stooge in the traitor Barack HUSSEIN Obama.
At some point, yes - we have at least proven the tracking laser - maybe it can help the 30mm autocannons on AC130s be even more accurate....
am I the only one who was disappointed that it only hit the fender rather than the fuel tank or engine or something?
I was hoping for slice & dice....
If you can blow a hole in the fender, you can blow a hole in any part of the vehicle. Including the roof, right over the driver's seat.
If I were the test director, I'd rather not totally destroy my nice fancy RC car if I didn't have to.
ahh...that is an excellent point...they’re not THAT expendable
You’ve heard of heat-seeking missiles, right? This is a fender-seeking laser. It doesn’t destroy the vehicle. It just puts a nasty dent in the fender so they have to turn around and go find a body shop.
BUMP for later read
I can build a better, cheaper cigarette lighter than that.
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