Fri, Nov 20, 2009
Mobile Laser Weapon Systems Proves Ability To Perform A Unique
Mission
It wasn't on the airborne platform ... yet ... but Boeing has
demonstrated the ability of mobile laser weapon systems to perform
a unique mission: track and destroy small unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs).
Photo Courtesy Boeing
During the U.S. Air Force-sponsored tests in May at the Naval
Air Warfare Center in China Lake, California, the Mobile Active
Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX), which was
developed by Boeing under contract to the Air Force Research
Laboratory, used a single, high-brightness laser beam to shoot down
five UAVs at various ranges. Laser Avenger, a Boeing-funded
initiative, also shot down a UAV. Representatives of the Air Force
and Army observed the tests.
"The Air Force and Boeing achieved a directed-energy
breakthrough with these tests," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president
and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed
Energy Systems unit. "MATRIX's performance is especially noteworthy
because it demonstrated unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal
acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively
low laser power."
Bill Baker, chief scientist of the Air Force Research
Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, praised his team and
Boeing for these successful UAV shootdowns.
"These tests validate the use of directed energy to negate
potential hostile threats against the homeland," Baker said. "The
team effort of Boeing and the Air Force in developing MATRIX will
pay major dividends for the warfighter now and in the years
ahead."
As part of the overall counter-UAV demonstration, Boeing also
successfully test-fired a lightweight 25mm machine gun from the
Laser Avenger platform to potentially further the hybrid directed
energy/kinetic energy capability against UAV threats.
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