America's laser of death cleared for take-off

AMERICA'S enemies will soon face a weapon, once confined to the Star Wars films, that can bring death at the speed of light.

The special operations AC-130 Spectre gunship, whose conventional weaponry has been used to devastating effect since the Vietnam War, is to be fitted with a laser that can shoot down missiles, punch holes in aircraft and knock out ground radar stations.

Despite the successful operations against Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan, the emergence of asymmetric terrorist warfare - attacks such as September 11 where the enemy is unseen - has led the Pentagon to identify the need for a more sophisticated and deadly weapons system.

The next generation gunship, codenamed AC-X and nicknamed 'Son of Spectre' by US defence officials, will carry all the weaponry already used on the AC-130, including twin 20mm Vulcan cannon (capable of firing 2,500 rounds per minute), 40mm Bofor cannon (100 rounds per minute) and a 105mm Howitzer. Its 21st-century addition, however, will be its biggest punch: a chemical oxygen iodine laser (Coil), capable of carrying out lethal and non-lethal attacks.

The advantage of laser weapons is that they strike at the speed of light. In the Coil, the power of a chemical reaction is converted to laser energy, and the weapon can carry on firing as long as its power source is intact.

Paul Wolfowitz, the US deputy defence secretary, has given the go-ahead for the next-generation AC-130, which includes full funding for the "integration of a direct-energy weapon".

The Pentagon is yet to announce when the new laser-equipped "Son of Spectre" will come into operation, but it is understood that the first upgraded version could be involved in military operations within two years.

Although lasers exist that can hit aircraft, disable optically guided missiles and destroy communications lines, the ability to vaporise enemy troops and vehicles Star Wars-style will take a few more years to develop.

The Spectre, flown by the 16th Special Operations Squadron, has a crew of 13, including two observers using television and infra-red images to direct the four gunners on to their target.

Working in pairs, normally providing close air support for special forces ground operations, Spectres can circle targets for hours, pulverising areas the size of football pitches with extraordinary precision.

The Spectre has, however, come to the end of its operational life and further upgrades have been ruled out on cost grounds.

Rob Hewson, the editor of Jane's Air Launched Weapons, said: "The laser will be the atomic weapon of the 21st century. Since the 1970s, US scientists have conducted a series of secret experiments in the Nevada desert using lasers.

"We know that they had lasers capable of causing immense damage but they needed huge power packs. This remains a problem and this is why a laser weapon can only be fitted on an air frame the size of the AC-130. But advances will be made and the power plant will shrink and one day it will dominate the battle field.

"The Americans may already have a very powerful laser weapon far more advanced than we have seen. They have been carrying out research in this field for years but it is a very secret weapons programme and we have no idea how far they have progressed."

Once the Coil and its power plant have been fully developed, the USAF hopes to fit it to a whole range of manned and unmanned aircraft, such as the Predator reconnaissance probe, which is fitted with Hellfire missiles and has been used in CIA operations in Afghanistan.

Lasers could also be used as an additional weapon system to fighters, bombers, helicopter gunships and warships but this is unlikely for a decade.

Thanks!

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. , March 30, 2001

New Solid-State Laser Developed For Airborne Laser Program

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company today announced that its subcontractor, Raytheon Electronic Systems, has achieved a crucial milestone in the development of the Beam Control/Fire Control system for the U.S. Air Force's Airborne Laser (ABL) program. The Beam Control/Fire Control system will aim and fire a high-energy laser at a target missile in its boost phase.

Raytheon conducted a "first light" test of the Track Illuminator Laser (TILL) one week ahead of schedule at its High Energy Laser Center in El Segundo, Calif. The TILL, one of four critical lasers to the Airborne Laser Program, is the first solid-state laser to achieve this milestone.

"The 'first light' test is significant because the TILL is the heart of the Beam Control/Fire Control system. This is a brand new technology and the test proves the design is valid," said Lockheed Martin ABL Program Manager Paul Shattuck.

This laser is an integral part of the Beam Control/Fire Control system and will project rapid, powerful pulses of light on a small section of a boosting target missile. The light will be reflected back to an extremely sensitive camera. The reflected light data is interpreted as information about the target's speed, elevation and probable point of impact.

"For the ABL program we pushed both sides of the equation -- a more sensitive sensor and a more powerful illuminator laser," said Shattuck. "This reduced the development risk because the components can compensate for each other," he said.

Raytheon's test showed that the TILL should have plenty of power to meet the signal needs of the system. According to Lockheed Martin Chief Systems Engineer Marya Andrepont, the test is a significant step in proving the technology. "We were expecting the laser to run for a few seconds, and they ran it for 30 minutes. I have great confidence that Raytheon will deliver a laser module that meets our needs," she said.

Lockheed Martin is part of an industry-government team that is developing the revolutionary ABL weapon system. Team ABL includes the Air Force, Boeing, TRW and Lockheed Martin. Boeing is the team lead for weapon system integration, and supplies the 747-400 freighter aircraft and the battle management, command and control system. TRW provides the high-energy laser, which is a chemical-oxygen-iodine laser. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is designing, developing, and building the Beam Control/Fire Control system, which will acquire the target, then accurately point and fire the laser with sufficient energy to destroy a missile while it is still in the boost phase.

The TILL is scheduled to be delivered later this year to Lockheed Martin's Beam Control/Fire Control Integration and Test Facility in Sunnyvale, Calif. The TILL will be integrated with the remainder of the beam transfer optics early next year, and followed by an end-to-end test of the Beam Control/Fire Control system.

Once modifications to the 747-400 aircraft are completed at Boeing's plant in Wichita, Kan., and the battle management has been installed, the plane will be flown to Edwards Air Force Base near Lancaster, Calif. The beam control system and the lasers will be installed there.

Flight tests, expected to begin early next year, will be conducted with each system separately, then with the system as a whole.

The Airborne Laser will be the world's first boost-phase defense against theater ballistic missiles of the type that were used against U.S. troops during the Gulf War. Unlike ground-based systems, ABL will operate from hundreds of miles away and will be able to lock onto enemy missiles shortly after they lift off. ABL will fire an intense beam of heat that causes the missile's skin to rupture and its fuel to gush and explode. Since the missiles are still rising, the warheads will fall onto or near the enemy's territory.

See our website for more information about Lockheed Martin Space Systems-Sunnyvale.

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