Next Best Thing To A Light Saber...
Boeing, its industry
teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency have achieved the
final 2007 milestone for the Airborne Laser (ABL) program, capping
a successful year for the revolutionary airborne directed energy
weapon system.
The final event for 2007 occurred when the Northrop Grumman
laser team completed inspection and refurbishment of the
high-energy laser components that were previously tested
successfully in a system integration laboratory at Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif.
The team completed all technical drawings for laser installation
on the aircraft, incorporating improvements learned during the lab
tests. Early release of the drawings and installation plans allows
Boeing and Northrop Grumman technicians to assemble and test the
high-energy chemical laser in one-third the time originally
required.
Modifications to the ABL hangar at Edwards were completed that
will allow ground tests of the high-energy laser to occur aboard
the ABL aircraft.
Earlier in 2007, the Airborne Laser completed a series of flight
tests of the Lockheed Martin-developed beam control/fire control
system at Edwards. In the tests, ABL tracked an airborne target,
measured and compensated for atmospheric turbulence and fired a
surrogate high-energy laser at the target.
The team is now installing the high-energy laser in the aircraft
at Edwards. When integration is completed, the program will conduct
an extensive series of system-level ground and flight tests,
leading to an intercept test against an in-flight ballistic missile
in 2009.
"The team has done a tremendous job completing system flight
tests with the surrogate high-energy laser and commencing
installation of the actual high-energy laser," said Scott Fancher,
vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense
Systems. "Once again, we made and demonstrated enormous progress
toward ushering in a new age of directed energy weapons."
The Airborne Laser consists of a modified Boeing 747-400F whose
back half will hold the high-energy laser, designed and built by
Northrop Grumman. The aircraft's front half contains the beam
control/fire control system, provided by Lockheed Martin, and the
battle management system, provided by Boeing.
Boeing is the prime contractor for ABL, which will provide
speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic
missiles in their boost phase of flight. ABL's speed, precision and
lethality also have potential for other missions, including
destroying air-to-air, cruise and surface-to-air missiles. Boeing
provides the modified aircraft and the battle management system and
is the overall systems integrator. ABL partners are Northrop
Grumman, which supplies the high-energy and beacon illuminator
lasers, and Lockheed Martin, which provides the nose-mounted turret
and the beam control/fire control system.