Officials Map Out Test Milestones for Airborne Laser

Space.com ^ | March 22nd, 2006 | Jeremy Singer

[Termite_Commander]

Nifty.

[Parmenio]

"As envisioned, the aircraft would fly in a figure-eight pattern over an area deemed a likely site of a missile launch."

How did they plan to protect the 747? The way the article desribes it it would seem difficult to protect the plane against air to air or gound to air missle attack.

[Termite_Commander]

The Boeing-led Airborne Laser team successfully exposed the ABL aircrafts conformal window for the first time during flight in May. The exposure of the conformal window is a maneuver necessary for the weapon system to complete its mission of shooting down a ballistic missile during the boost phase of flight. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Shryne


This diagram shows the locations of various systems within the Airborne Laser aircraft. ABL team members are responsible for various elements of the system: Boeing is responsible for supplying the 747-400 Freighter, developing crew safety and the Battle Management system. Lockheed Martin is responsible for the nose-mounted turret, illuminator lasers and beam-control system. Northrop Grumman is responsible for the system's high-energy laser. Image Credit: Boeing/ABL.


Lockheed Martin Space Systems engineer in the company’s Sunnyvale, Calif. facility inspects the Turret Ball Conformal Window on the Flight Turret Assembly for the Airborne Laser. The window is the exit for the High Energy Laser and exit and return window for the Beacon Illuminator and Tracker Illuminator lasers. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.

[bruin66]

During the flight test, the lasers will be fired at a military NKC-135 aircraft with a picture of a ballistic missile painted on its fuselage...

What??

[SlowBoat407]

Just be sure to double-check the target coordinates.

[Daus]

What??

North Korea is now painting their missles to look like airborne cows to fool the system. :)

[SlowBoat407]

During the flight test, the lasers will be fired at a military NKC-135 aircraft with a picture of a ballistic missile painted on its fuselage,

Crew of the laser plane will then all yell "ka-cheooo! ka-cheooo!" and "bzzzzzzttt!!", while crew of the KC-135 will yell "You missed!!"

[SlowBoat407]

North Korea is now painting their missles to look like airborne cows to fool the system. :)

Don't laugh. I heard one of those took out a police car the other day.

[Bigs from Michigan]

The laser will be low power and cause no damage. The idea is to test the laser targeting system. By doing it on a moving NKC-135, the test can be repeated many times.

[ArrogantBustard]

Knowledge points laid out for this year include testing of the solid-state lasers for missile tracking and atmospheric-distortion correction.

Does it make sense now?

[ArrogantBustard]

Aha! Another voice of sanity. Are you, perchance, some sort of engineer?

[null and void]

ping

[NonValueAdded]

Silent Lightning bump

[Rockitz]

I worked on the laser portion of this in the early 90s. I always thought it looked like a systems nightmare and turns out I was right.

[null and void]

Make that:

ZAPping...

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

"How did they plan to protect the 747? The way the article desribes it it would seem difficult to protect the plane against air to air or gound to air missle attack."

Distance and Airpower. F-22 maybe?

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

"picture of a ballistic missile"

Computers must be used for aiming at the shape of an ballistic missile...?

[null and void]

One would think a tow target would be safer...

[phantomworker]

WoW! That looks like an incredible program!!!! Might want to call it...Peace through light! ;)

Thanks for the ping, Nully!

[TChris]

Now in a new, portable size!