Vegas
07-18-2007, 02:41 PM
http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Analysis/2007/07/17/bmd_watch_boeing_abl_test_success/4460/
WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- Boeing announced Friday that with its partner companies and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency it had "successfully completed a key Airborne Laser flight test."
The successful ABL test had shown "the weapon system's ability to actively track an airborne target, compensate for atmospheric turbulence and fire a surrogate for its missile-killing high-energy laser," the company said in a statement.
"During the test, the modified Boeing 747-400F took off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and used its infrared sensors and its track illuminator laser (TILL) to find and track an instrumented target board located on the U.S. Air Force's NC-135E Big Crow test aircraft," the Boeing statement said.
"The Big Crow then fired its beacon laser at the ABL aircraft to allow ABL to measure and compensate for laser beam distortion caused by the atmosphere. Finally, ABL fired the surrogate high-energy laser (SHEL) at the Big Crow target board to simulate a missile shoot down," the statement said.
"With the exception of ABL's beacon illuminator laser (BILL), this flight test demonstrated the entire engagement sequence from target acquisition to pointing and firing the SHEL," it said.
"This successful test shows that ABL can find and track a target, use its beam control/fire control system to compensate for atmospheric turbulence, and fire a surrogate high-energy laser to simulate a missile intercept," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "We have now demonstrated most of the steps needed for the Airborne Laser to engage a threat missile and deliver precise and lethal effects against it."
Boeing said the ABL "fired the TILL at the Big Crow target board for the first time March 15."
The company said Friday's test "demonstrated ABL's ability to transition from passive tracking of a simulated missile plume to active tracking, by 'walking' the TILL beam to the nose of the missile and using the TILL light returning from the edge of missile for precision tracking and determination of where to point the SHEL on the target."
"In addition, atmospheric turbulence compensation was performed concurrent with active tracking and SHEL firing," it said.
"In upcoming flight tests, ABL will again demonstrate the engagement sequence, but this time use the return from its BILL instead of the Big Crow's beacon laser to measure atmospheric distortion," Boeing said. "After these flight tests, the program will install the actual Northrop Grumman-built high-energy laser in the aircraft to prepare for the first intercept test against an in-flight ballistic missile in 2009."
"The high-power chemical laser has completed rigorous ground testing at Edwards Air Force Base and is being prepared for installation," the company said.
Boeing is the prime contractor for ABL. Its U.S. industry partners in the program are Northrop Grumman, which supplies the high-energy laser and the beacon illuminator laser, and Lockheed Martin, which provides the nose-mounted turret and the beam control/fire control system.
WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- Boeing announced Friday that with its partner companies and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency it had "successfully completed a key Airborne Laser flight test."
The successful ABL test had shown "the weapon system's ability to actively track an airborne target, compensate for atmospheric turbulence and fire a surrogate for its missile-killing high-energy laser," the company said in a statement.
"During the test, the modified Boeing 747-400F took off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and used its infrared sensors and its track illuminator laser (TILL) to find and track an instrumented target board located on the U.S. Air Force's NC-135E Big Crow test aircraft," the Boeing statement said.
"The Big Crow then fired its beacon laser at the ABL aircraft to allow ABL to measure and compensate for laser beam distortion caused by the atmosphere. Finally, ABL fired the surrogate high-energy laser (SHEL) at the Big Crow target board to simulate a missile shoot down," the statement said.
"With the exception of ABL's beacon illuminator laser (BILL), this flight test demonstrated the entire engagement sequence from target acquisition to pointing and firing the SHEL," it said.
"This successful test shows that ABL can find and track a target, use its beam control/fire control system to compensate for atmospheric turbulence, and fire a surrogate high-energy laser to simulate a missile intercept," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "We have now demonstrated most of the steps needed for the Airborne Laser to engage a threat missile and deliver precise and lethal effects against it."
Boeing said the ABL "fired the TILL at the Big Crow target board for the first time March 15."
The company said Friday's test "demonstrated ABL's ability to transition from passive tracking of a simulated missile plume to active tracking, by 'walking' the TILL beam to the nose of the missile and using the TILL light returning from the edge of missile for precision tracking and determination of where to point the SHEL on the target."
"In addition, atmospheric turbulence compensation was performed concurrent with active tracking and SHEL firing," it said.
"In upcoming flight tests, ABL will again demonstrate the engagement sequence, but this time use the return from its BILL instead of the Big Crow's beacon laser to measure atmospheric distortion," Boeing said. "After these flight tests, the program will install the actual Northrop Grumman-built high-energy laser in the aircraft to prepare for the first intercept test against an in-flight ballistic missile in 2009."
"The high-power chemical laser has completed rigorous ground testing at Edwards Air Force Base and is being prepared for installation," the company said.
Boeing is the prime contractor for ABL. Its U.S. industry partners in the program are Northrop Grumman, which supplies the high-energy laser and the beacon illuminator laser, and Lockheed Martin, which provides the nose-mounted turret and the beam control/fire control system.