Airborne Laser Achieves Full Power In Ground Test

[IGBT]

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Now that the chemical laser's ground tests are complete, the program plans to disassemble the device and prepare it for installation in the first ABL aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 freighter. The aircraft is currently in Wichita, Kan., where it will be strengthened to handle the weight of the chemical laser's six modules, each the size of a Chevy Suburban sport utility vehicle. Two solid-state lasers also will be installed in the aircraft in Wichita to help track targets.

Installation of the chemical laser in the aircraft is expected to start at Edwards in about a year. The first missile shoot-down attempt is planned for 2008.

 

[imported_Tick]

Sweet.

 

[Genx87]

One thing I think interesting about these new technologies is it may allow for another world war using conventional weapons as nations will have the ability to defend themselves against ICBMs.

Low yield tactical weapons against troops formations may still be viable as well as arty delivered munitions. But I think those will also be low yield weapons.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: Genx87
One thing I think interesting about these new technologies is it may allow for another world war using conventional weapons as nations will have the ability to defend themselves against ICBMs.

Low yield tactical weapons against troops formations may still be viable as well as arty delivered munitions. But I think those will also be low yield weapons.

You know that we are testing and deploying 'arty' defenses, right?

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: Genx87
One thing I think interesting about these new technologies is it may allow for another world war using conventional weapons as nations will have the ability to defend themselves against ICBMs.

Low yield tactical weapons against troops formations may still be viable as well as arty delivered munitions. But I think those will also be low yield weapons.

You know that we are testing and deploying 'arty' defenses, right?

Helicopters with rockets?

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Genx87
One thing I think interesting about these new technologies is it may allow for another world war using conventional weapons as nations will have the ability to defend themselves against ICBMs.

Low yield tactical weapons against troops formations may still be viable as well as arty delivered munitions. But I think those will also be low yield weapons.

The thing about all this missile defense stuff is that countermeasures are relatively easy to deploy, while the defensive measures are enormously expensive and limited in capability. It may be decisive in a limited engagement against an opponent with few missiles, but not a "world war" type conflict.

Just my $0.02 from having spent some time in the area. There is some amazing work being done, but don't get to confident.

 

[BrownTown]

obviously this plane would be completely worthless in any type of conflict, but I think the justification is that it will help further our knowledge in thte area. Personally I think spending tons of money on weapons research is stupid since if the US gets in a war with a country with nukes they will be the only thing that matters, and our current conventional arsenal is good enough to deal with any non-nuclear threat as it is. In reality this military stuff is just the US tryinng to prove they have the bigger dick than China, but thats just my 2 cents.

On a somewhat funny note, it seems it takes about the same amount of energy to shoot down a nuclear missile as it does to run a P4 for a day

 

[Calin]

I don't think airborne lasers are able to hit a ballistic missile from a great distance. So, the only enemy I can think of would be North Korea - as any other country would be able to launch missiles from deep inside their own territory, where planes that carry airborne lasers aren't able to enter.

 

[DrPizza]

Am I the only person who immediately thought of "Real Genius" when he saw the thread title?

Anyway, I wonder how they aim it?? Diffraction in the air, temperature and pressure changes affecting the index of refraction (I would think) over decent distances...

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: Tick

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: Genx87
One thing I think interesting about these new technologies is it may allow for another world war using conventional weapons as nations will have the ability to defend themselves against ICBMs.

Low yield tactical weapons against troops formations may still be viable as well as arty delivered munitions. But I think those will also be low yield weapons.

You know that we are testing and deploying 'arty' defenses, right?

Helicopters with rockets?

I cannot remember the system, so cannot supply a link. I remembered seeing an article in the last 6 months on a close support anti-motar and arty defense system. I cannot remember if it was laser based, but it was way cool. Runs on a trailered platform that is pulled by a troop carrier class vehicle.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Armitage
The thing about all this missile defense stuff is that countermeasures are relatively easy to deploy, while the defensive measures are enormously expensive and limited in capability. It may be decisive in a limited engagement against an opponent with few missiles, but not a "world war" type conflict.

Just my $0.02 from having spent some time in the area. There is some amazing work being done, but don't get to confident.

As anyone who has watched the entire Space Battleship Yamato / Star Blazers series can also attest to. I think some of these people pushing for "anti-missile defense systems" would benefit from a viewing. Specifically the episode when the Yamato visits Desslock's home planet (hope I'm not spoiling anything here), and the Bolero empire attacks with missiles... many missiles. Lets just say that Desslock's trust in their high-tech defenses may have been a bit misplaced.

 

[patentman]

In my opinion the whole airborn laser thing is a huge waste of money. Lasers are not that hard to mess with. Throw some particles in the air and laser transmission goes to crap. Put a reflective coating on your missile and all of a sudden a half trillion dollar research project turns into a nice science experiment.

If there is one thing you can say about war, its that when people find a new way to kill each other, someone is gonna find a way to defend themselves against that. Once that happens, somebody else is gonna figure out how to overcome that defense... and so on and so on. The development of war related technology is just one giant game of leapfrog.

Oh, and not to mention its extremely hard to keep a laser pinpointed at a missile travelling at many times the speed of sound for a sufficient time to impart enough energy to destroy it. Thats either one hell of a laser (which begs the question, what happens if they miss?, is the military just gonna say? oops! Sorry I fried you next door neighbor!) or they've got on hell of a targeting and tracking system.

 

[tommywishbone]

Originally posted by: patentman
In my opinion the whole airborn laser thing is a huge waste of money. Lasers are not that hard to mess with. Throw some particles in the air and laser transmission goes to crap. Put a reflective coating on your missile and all of a sudden a half trillion dollar research project turns into a nice science experiment.

If there is one thing you can say about war, its that when people find a new way to kill each other, someone is gonna find a way to defend themselves against that. Once that happens, somebody else is gonna figure out how to overcome that defense... and so on and so on. The development of war related technology is just one giant game of leapfrog.

Oh, and not to mention its extremely hard to keep a laser pinpointed at a missile travelling at many times the speed of sound for a sufficient time to impart enough energy to destroy it. Thats either one hell of a laser (which begs the question, what happens if they miss?, is the military just gonna say? oops! Sorry I fried you next door neighbor!) or they've got on hell of a targeting and tracking system.

:thumbsup: I'm sure we'll hear all about the successful testing where in 1-out-of-3 attempts, they were able to hit a stationary target or a moving target when the launch time, trajectory & airspeed were known prior to launch.

 

[mackle]

Build them now...quickly....Taiwan would spend alot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to buy some of these. We could be rich.

 

[TheoPetro]

Originally posted by: patentman
In my opinion the whole airborn laser thing is a huge waste of money. Lasers are not that hard to mess with. Throw some particles in the air and laser transmission goes to crap. Put a reflective coating on your missile and all of a sudden a half trillion dollar research project turns into a nice science experiment.

If there is one thing you can say about war, its that when people find a new way to kill each other, someone is gonna find a way to defend themselves against that. Once that happens, somebody else is gonna figure out how to overcome that defense... and so on and so on. The development of war related technology is just one giant game of leapfrog.

Oh, and not to mention its extremely hard to keep a laser pinpointed at a missile travelling at many times the speed of sound for a sufficient time to impart enough energy to destroy it. Thats either one hell of a laser (which begs the question, what happens if they miss?, is the military just gonna say? oops! Sorry I fried you next door neighbor!) or they've got on hell of a targeting and tracking system.

are they really that easy to messup? if they are that easy why keep going with the tech at all?

 

[Cattlegod]

Couldn't the enemy just simply make a casing for the missle that reflects the frequencies that the laser uses?

 

[alienal99]

or just shoot down the 747......

 

[alienal99]

oh crap....that was classified....i was just joking about shooting down the 747....why the hell would you do that?

 

[mackle]

Originally posted by: alienal99
oh crap....that was classified....i was just joking about shooting down the 747....why the hell would you do that?

By using what?? Missiles or AK47 like VietCong said that they used AK47 to bring down B-52. And if use missiles then they going to be destroy by the laser anyway....

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: mackle

Originally posted by: alienal99
oh crap....that was classified....i was just joking about shooting down the 747....why the hell would you do that?

By using what?? Missiles or AK47 like VietCong said that they used AK47 to bring down B-52. And if use missiles then they going to be destroy by the laser anyway....

Err, it is very easy to kill a 747. And your chemical laser has limited ammo, plus I doubt you can shoot an AMRAAM easily. This whole chemical laser on plane thing just sounds insane to me, Ruskies had dedicated anti ballistic artillery stationed around Moscow (may still be there) and they probably do a better job if you upgrade the theatre targeting system (aegis type).

 

[TitanDiddly]

I've got a feeling that this company: http://www.l-3com.com/ Will be involved in converting the plane for the laser. One of my hallmate's dad works for them, and their major plant is in Texas.

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: TheoPetro

are they really that easy to messup?

Yup, they are. Unless this airborn laser has been developed to utilize multiple frequencies, all you need are some particles of the right size and its scatter city... In the alternative you could just use a reflective coating.

if they are that easy why keep going with the tech at all?

My point exactly.

 

[f95toli]

It is a good way to get funding.

But, as has been concluded by numerous independent reviews (including one by the National Academies of Sciences), there is simply no realistic way to build an effective missile defence system capable of protecting the whole country.

There have been a few good articles in Scienfic American about this.

 

[sdifox]

I can just picture some B-movie where as the missle puts out a mirror and reflect the laser back to the airplane, causing huge explosion

 

[RaphaelVinceti]

I think people are forgetting a few little details about this laser. It is designed to take down a LONG RANGE ballistic missile on its return into troposphere, after passing into the mesosphere. A reflective coating would be burned up during this. So would mirrors. Besides that, the laser that is being fired has enough heat to cut through any metal known in missile development in miliseconds (from what the popular science article i read said) the targeting systems that the U.S. Military has are more than adequte to keep the laser on target for the time it needs to kill the Missile.