Boeing and the US Air Force keep gain in theirairborne mellow - energy laser arm , the modify 747 - 400F that is contrive to shoot down missiles as they wing to their target . Last week they fired the entire laser organisation for the first time ever at the Edwards Air Force Base in California .
https://gizmodo.com/boeing-begins-firing-airborne-high-energy-laser-nearby-391636
While the laser has been tested before , this was the first clip they actually go the whole thing as if they were burgeon forth down a real target area . This trial fire the laser from the back - mounted generator thought the beam control organisation , exiting the aircraft through the nose - mounted gun turret and hitting a simulated ballistic missile fair game .
The next test - to be executed next class - will be go off and shooting down a real airborne ballistic projectile .
Boeing Airborne Laser Team Fires High - Energy Laser Through Beam Control System
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE , Calif. , Dec. 01 , 2008 — The Boeing Company [ NYSE : BA ] , industriousness teammate and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency last week fired a high - vigour laser through the Airborne Laser ’s ( ABL ) shaft of light control / attack control scheme , discharge the first land test of the total artillery organization integrated aboard the aircraft .
During the examination at Edwards Air Force Base , the optical maser beam traveled through the beam ascendence / fire control system before exiting the aircraft through the olfactory organ - climb on gun enclosure . The beam control / flaming mastery organization steered and focalize the beam of light onto a simulated ballistic - missile object .
“ This psychometric test is significant because it demo that the Airborne Laser missile DoD program has successfully integrate the integral weapon system aboard the ABL aircraft , ” said Scott Fancher , vice prexy and universal managing director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems . “ With the achievement of the first firing of the laser aboard the aircraft in September , the squad has now completed the two major milestone it hoped to carry out in 2008 , keeping ABL on track to deport the missile shootdown demonstration planned for next year . ”
Michael Rinn , Boeing vice Chief Executive and ABL political platform director , said the next gradation for the program is a series of longer - continuance laser ignition through the electron beam ascendancy / fire control condition system .
“ Once we finish those test , we will set out demonstrating the entire weapon system in trajectory , ” Rinn said . “ The team is meeting its committal to deliver this transformational engineer - energy weapon system in the cheeseparing term . ”
The syllabus has logged many accomplishments over the retiring several years . In 2005 , the in high spirits - energy laser demonstrated lethal levels of duration and business leader in the System Integration Laboratory at Edwards . In 2007 , ABL completed legion trajectory test that march its ability to tag an airborne target , touchstone and compensate for atmospheric conditions , and deliver a surrogate mellow - energy laser ’s simulated deadly beam on the object . In September 2008 , the squad achieved “ first light ” by firing the eminent - free energy laser into a calorimeter aboard the aircraft .
Boeing is the prime contractor for ABL , which will bring home the bacon speed - of - light capability to destruct all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight .
The ABL aircraft is a modified Boeing 747 - 400F whose back one-half holds the high - energy laser , designed and built by Northrop Grumman . The front section of the aircraft moderate the beam control / fire command organisation , developed by Lockheed Martin , and the struggle management organization , provided by Boeing .
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