First Light test of B747-borne high power laser weapon is
successful
The US Missile Defense
Agency has successfully test-fired the megawatt-class laser built
by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the Airborne Laser (ABL)
system, marking the first time such a powerful directed energy
weapon suitable for use in an airborne environment has been
demonstrated.
The ground-based test, referred to as "First Light," took place
November 10 on ABL's laser testbed at the Systems Integration
Laboratory, a special building at Edwards Air Force Base (CA) which
houses a modified Boeing 747 freighter fuselage where all elements
of the laser system are being assembled and tested.
The test involved the simultaneous firing of all six laser
modules and the associated optics that comprise the Chemical Oxygen
Iodine Laser (COIL). The laser systems produced an amount of
infrared laser energy that was within pre-test expectations.
This successful test shows the ABL team has met the engineering
and system integration challenges in size, weight and configuration
posed by building the world's most powerful laser for use within an
airborne environment," said Wes Bush, president of Northrop Grumman
Space Technology. "This is an exceptional achievement by the ABL
team and represents a tremendous technological step forward in
laser weapons. We are enormously proud of the outstanding work
of our team in developing the many innovations required to make
this first-ever event happen and in demonstrating our readiness to
move to flight aircraft integration."
The ABL is the first airborne megawatt-class laser weapon
system. The ABL is a specially configured 747-400F aircraft,
designed to autonomously detect, track and destroy hostile
ballistic missiles during the boost phase. The high-power laser is
coupled with a revolutionary optical system capable of focusing a
basketball-sized spot of heat that can destroy a boosting missile
from hundreds of miles away. The laser and optical systems are
controlled by a sophisticated computer system that can
simultaneously track and prioritize potential targets.
First Light' is an important milestone because it verifies the
integration, operation and control of six laser modules and their
associated optics in the flight configuration," said Steve Hixson,
Northrop Grumman ABL program manager. "We look forward to
completing the laser’s current ground test program, moving it
into the flight aircraft and integrating it with the beam
control/fire control system. Completion of those events will move
us another significant step closer to shooting down a ballistic
missile in flight.”
The ABL program is
managed by the Missile Defense Agency and is executed by the U.S.
Air Force from Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque (NM).
The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are
working closely with the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency
to develop ABL. Boeing is responsible for developing the ABL battle
management system, integrating the weapon system, and supplying the
modified 747-400 freighter aircraft. Lockheed Martin is developing
the Beam Control/Fire Control system. Northrop Grumman is providing
the complete COIL system.
From detection, to tracking, to engagement, Northrop Grumman is
bringing its entire suite of expertise to bear on developing a
global, layered, missile defense capability. In boost phase,
Northrop Grumman leads an industry team on the Kinetic Energy
Interceptors program and is developing the chemical laser portion
of the airborne laser; for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
program, Northrop Grumman is playing a major role providing the GMD
fire control/communications system, better know as the "brains" of
the midcourse system; in the area of sensors, the company is prime
contractor for the space tracking and surveillance system (STSS)
and is currently the prime on DSP, the retiring sensor system; in
modeling and simulation, Northrop Grumman leads the effort at the
Joint National Integration Center, the nation's premier
missile-defense modeling and simulation center and international
wargaming center.
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