It’s interesting that this should come out now because I was just talking to Ward after his glorious showing on Fox News Channel where he discussed the airborne laser program that I thought the real leap in this arena was with the tactical laser being incorporated onto a C-130.
Well, it turns out, the program office just had another successful test of the system, this time running through all the components of the laser generating device, through its targeting system and onto a target.
Sure, the test was on the ground, but come on, it’s a laser gun for crying out loud. Looks like the Boeing team that’s running this show put the whole kit and kaboodle on the airplane and basically ran through an entire firing procedure without being actually in the air.
From Boeing:
During the test Aug. 7 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., the ATL aircraft, a C-130H, fired its high-energy chemical laser through its beam control system. The beam control system acquired a ground target and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL’s battle management system. The laser passes through a rotating turret on the aircraft’s belly.
“By firing the laser through the beam control system for the first time, the ATL team has begun to demonstrate the functionality of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the aircraft,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. “This is a major step toward providing the ultra-precision engagement capability that the warfighter needs to dramatically reduce collateral damage.”
After conducting additional tests on the ground and in the air, the program will demonstrate ATL’s military utility by firing the laser in-flight at mission-representative ground targets later this year.
Again, while the ABL program is interesting based on its scale, the ATL seems to me has many more real-world applications than the ABM one. I’ll be interested to see the real capabilities of the ATL system later this year — how does it deal with enemy personnel and equipment? Are we Star Wars here or Buck Rogers?
– Christian
Yes, lasers are sexy, but I think the future involves some sort of direct conversion of stored chemical energy to blast effect, delivered through some sort of gravity assisted mechanism.
It’s just so much simpler and more efficient.
On the ground? From a turret on the C-130’s belly? I’m doubtful that there is sufficient ground clearance under the plane to carry that off.
Turret needn’t be huge; just big enough to house the objective lens/mirror assembly. It could be retractable, anyway, like the ball turret on a B-17.
Or fire from the side. Basically this is a sort of super Spectre.
Quote:
“On the ground? From a turret on the C-130’s belly? I’m doubtful that there is sufficient ground clearance under the plane to carry that off.“
Two words: Jack stands. That should give the plane sufficient space to drop its ball(s) while on the ground.
I wonder if the system can acquire and fire fast enough to zap missiles, mortar and arty rounds in midair? Frying terrorists like a fat kid with a magnifying glass is both fun and useful, but zapping inbound fire would be all type kinds of cool.
Christian,
Can you find out if they damaged the target? They said they lased it, but they don’t speak about the effects to the target.
Thanks.
Baby steps, but steps nonetheless.
I can just imagine the proponent of a new advanced naval gun ship announcing — “We set up the gun on a platform at our test range and a shell came out when we fired it.“
Fixed location, ground based lasers don’t cross any thresholds of technology.
LOL why do i sence another upgrade for the BUFF coming lol
also though i could see using a realy realy powerful laser on a ship i dont see why you would use a chem laser with a ship the size of a say iowa class you could put some dang powerful nuke or in the future fusion reactors…
lol i was just thinkin about all the ppls who keep saying convetional wars are threw.…like you know that one in georgia?…lol dos vi donya
may russia pay for its violation of a free country
Perhaps they can make future versions small enough to fit on a B-2. Certainly a B-52 could operate a laser and still support a conventional payload.
The more I read on future tech the more it becomes possible instead of just fiction. More projects like this one are becomming in just a few years, instead of sometime in the future. Its exciting what we are now able to do and what we will soon do.
What we should do soon if destroy Russia’s nuclear arsenal. They are a real problem. The ABL should help in this goal. Where are the UAV-mounted missile interceptors? That should be part of the strategic missile defense initiative.
But the best thing about the ATL is — “plausibile deniability” -
http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn14520-us-boasts-of-laser-weapons-plausible-deniability.html