Laser destroys in-flight missile
Share
Boeing, industry teammates and the US Missile Defense Agency have demonstrated the potential of directed-energy weapons by destroying a ballistic missile with the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB).
This experiment marks the first time a laser weapon has engaged and destroyed an in-flight ballistic missile and the first time that any system has accomplished it in the missile’s boost phase of flight.
According to Boeing, ALTB has the highest-energy laser ever fired from an aircraft and is the most powerful mobile laser-device in the world.
During the experiment, the aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400F, took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California and focused its nose-mounted high-energy laser at the missile target during its boost phase as the aircraft flew over the Western Sea Range off the coast of California.
‘We’ve been saying for some time that the Airborne Laser Testbed would be a pathfinder for directed energy and would expand options for policymakers and warfighters,’ said Michael Rinn, Boeing vice-president and ALTB programme director.
‘ALTB technology and future directed-energy platforms will transform how the US defends itself and its allies.’
Boeing is the prime contractor for the Airborne Laser Testbed, which is designed to intercept all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight.
Northrop Grumman designed and built ALTB’s high-energy laser, and Lockheed Martin developed the beam-control/fire-control system.
Boeing provided the aircraft, the battle-management system and overall systems integration and testing.
Capabilities
Operates autonomously, above the clouds, outside the range of threat weapons but sufficiently close to enemy territory
Engages early, destroying ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight over the launch area
Cues and tracks targets, communicating with other joint-theatre assets for layered defence systems
Unique Technology
Nose-mounted turret with 1.5m telescope that focuses beams on the missile and collects return images and signals
Beam control system to precisely acquire and track targets
Source: Boeing
Related Files
ABL Overview
PDF, size 31.51 kB
Readers' comments (8)
Brian | 17 Feb 2010 1:48 pm
Think this comes under the term 'Sitting duck' target evaluation. Can just imagine an enemy being kind enough to allow an laser attack aircraft to be close enough to its launch territory to zap one of its missiles.
Wonder if the inverse square law applies to laser weapons?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Don Pratt | 17 Feb 2010 2:57 pm
As they say,'Who needs facts if you have a good story'. This is a great story, the facts will follow.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Jon G | 17 Feb 2010 2:57 pm
I would think that the law doesn't apply as (as I understand it) it is essentially for a 'point' source radiating energy. The law comes from the energy density per unit area. As a laser targets the energy in a parallel beam the area that the energy is spread over will not increase significantly with distance. So the energy density will not change.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Brian | 17 Feb 2010 3:29 pm
Thanks Jon - Just been playing with a laser pointer and as a first take confirms what you say. So range will be down to effects of particles in the air etc.
Guess the way to defend is to have lots of nice shiny surfaces on missile and bounce it back at the attacker (works with my laser pointer!).
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Brian | 17 Feb 2010 5:08 pm
Thanks Jon - Just been playing with a laser pointer and as a first take confirms what you say. So range will be down to effects of particles in the air etc.
Guess the way to defend is to have lots of nice shiny surfaces on missile and bounce it back at the attacker (works with my laser pointer!).
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Michael Dunsmore | 18 Feb 2010 1:56 am
At large enough ranges, the laser energy does follow the inverse square law.
If electromagnetic energy of wavelength lambda is radiated from an aperture of diameter D, across which the amplitude and phase are uniform, then we need to consider two regions. The first is the radiative near-field, or Fresnel region, extending to a distance of approximately (2*D^2/lambda) from the aperture. In this region, the beam will approximate to a column. Thereafter, there is the far-field, or Fraunhoffer region, in which the beam will have a half- power width of (D/lambda) and its power will decrease according to the inverse square law. There will be a gradual transition from column to square-law as the beam moves across the boundary between the two regions.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Michael Dunsmore | 18 Feb 2010 2:31 am
I pressed the submit button before adding that, if the laser has an aperture of 1.5m and we assume an ALTB infra-red wavelength of 1.5micrometres, then the beam will approximate to a column for about the first 3000km.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Tim Adlam | 19 Feb 2010 9:12 am
Additionally, the laser has adaptive optics that continuously refocus the beam to take account of atmospheric disturbance.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment