…… Mr. Gates said he would cut from programs for defense against missiles, including halting the increase in the numbers of defensive missiles deployed in Alaska. Defense experts were also expecting that Boeing’s airborne laser system, which would equip a modified 747 jetliner with a laser to shoot down missiles, might be killed…….
via Gates Budget Plan Reshapes Pentagon’s Priorities – NYTimes.com.
Wikileaks has released many quasi-secret reports commissioned by the United States Congress, which should be in public domain legally. Among as much as 6,780 reports, I find 3 of them are on lasers. You might be interested in reading them.
1. Airborne Laser (ABL): Issues for Congress (RL32123 / 2007-07-09)
2. Lasers Aimed at Aircraft Cockpits: Background and Possible Options to Address the Threat to Aviation Safety and Security (RS22033 / 2005-12-21)
3. The Airborne Laser Anti-Missile Program (RL30185 / 2000-02-18)
Although the Airborne Laser (ABL) was fired from a stationary plane at a target on the ground just a few metres away, the test marked a milestone for the weapon, developed by aerospace firms Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
So starts a recent article on airborne laser from New Scientist. The most useful information for me is the following time line.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a new contract worth up to $30 million for the next phase of development on the Advanced Tactical Laser.
The ATL is a C-130H aircraft outfitted with a 12,000-pound high-energy chemical laser module that would be used as a weapon against ground targets. It’s the smaller sibling of the Airborne Laser, a highly modified 747 under development that packs a similar weapon but that would be used against ballistic missiles.
Laser gunship hits $30 million bulls-eye | Crave, the gadget blog – CNET.
“Anti-missile lasers will be installed on three American Airlines planes that fly from Kennedy Airport to California as part of a $29 million federal program to see whether the devices can protect commercial aircraft from attacks.
The gizmos – which detect heat from a rocket and then fire a jamming beam – will be operational but won’t be tested on regular passenger flights, the airline said. They have already been tested on non-passenger planes. These tests will examine how the system weathers continuous takeoffs and landings.
The Department of Homeland Security is spending $29 million on the program – and Sen. Chuck Schumer said he’s glad the testing is moving along.
‘We have fought for these for a long time to make sure that our planes are safe,’ said Schumer (D-New York). ‘”
Boeings Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight, then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser, destroying enemy missiles near their launch areas.
The YAL-1A Airborne Laser is a modified Boeing 747-400F, used to target, track, and shoot down ballistic missiles during their boost phase using a megawatt-class laser.
