Topic: Airborne Laser testing and build continues

[Stormbringer]

ABL testing and build continues

http://www.spacewar.com/news/laser-05n.html

Airborne Laser Team Completes New Phase Of Payload Testing


St Louis MO (SPX) Aug 08, 2005
The Boeing Airborne Laser (ABL) team has completed flight testing of the system's passive mission payload, moving the program through another phase of critical testing.
This test event, called the Low Power Systems Integration-Passive test, included ground and flight tests of ABL's battle management command and control system and the Beam Control/Fire Control segment.

"Completion of this test phase for the Airborne Laser program further demonstrates the air worthiness and the functionality of the airborne mission payload," said Boeing Missile Defense Systems Vice President and General Manager Pat Shanahan.

"With each testing increment, the ABL Team is making steady progress in bringing the ABL into the hands of the warfighter to defend against ballistic missile threats."

Boeing is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the ABL, which consists of a megawatt-class, high-energy Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser placed on a Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

ABL is designed to detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight. ABL also can pass information on launch site, target track and predicted impact to other layers of the government's ballistic missile defense architecture.

During this latest phase of testing the ABL, the ABL Team demonstrated the stability and alignment of the two beam control and fire control optical benches with the turret.

That test demonstrated the system's pointing and vibration control functions as well as its ability to acquire targets as directed by the battle management segment.

In May, the ABL's 1.7 meter wide conformal window was unstowed for the first time during flight, a maneuver necessary for the weapon system to complete its mission of shooting down a ballistic missile in flight.

The Team also has demonstrated the battle management and command and control systems ability to autonomously detect and hand off targets using Link 16 secure communications.

With completion of this phase of testing, the ABL YAL-1A aircraft will transition to Boeing's Wichita facility to undergo final modification to accommodate installation of the high energy lasers and begin Low Power System Integration-Active ground testing.

During the active testing, two low power illuminator lasers will be integrated and flight tested to demonstrate acquisition and fine tracking with active illumination. The testing also will verify ABL's atmospheric compensation design and operation.

Boeing is the weapon system integrator for ABL and provides the modified aircraft and battle management segments. Other ABL partners include Northrop Grumman, which provides the laser segment, and Lockheed Martin, which provides the BC/FC segment.

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RAY GUNS

Lockheed Martin Delivers Airborne Laser Flight Turret Assembly
Sunnyvale CA (SPX) Nov 04, 2004
Lockheed Martin Wednesday announced it has delivered the Airborne Laser (ABL) Flight Turret Assembly (FTA) to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for integration into the aircraft. This event follows Lockheed Martin's delivery of its ABL Beam Transfer Assembly and Multi-Beam Illuminator earlier in the year.

[Bonk]

Cool!  I just might get my X-wing yet!

[E_Look]

I think they have to consider somehow using the speed of photons to deliver the punch of something with mass, like neutrons or protons...  a phaser!  That's the ticket!  A phaser!

[Stormbringer]

Cool!  I just might get my X-wing yet!

The second generation ABL will be mounted on a fighter airframe like the raptor. This according to the ABL web page and other reports on it.

[Stormbringer]

I think they have to consider somehow using the speed of photons to deliver the punch of something with mass, like neutrons or protons...  a phaser!  That's the ticket!  A phaser!

FEL output has reached 10KW. the next generation will reach minimal effective output for weapons application. the FEL is a free electron laser. a sort of hybrid laser beam particle cannon.  But off in the distance are matter beam lasers where the plasma carrier frequency is phase locked and "monochromatic" like a laser but delivers particles in a coherent wave like manner.

[E_Look]

I think they have to consider somehow using the speed of photons to deliver the punch of something with mass, like neutrons or protons...  a phaser!  That's the ticket!  A phaser!

FEL output has reached 10KW. the next generation will reach minimal effective output for weapons application. the FEL is a free electron laser. a sort of hybrid laser beam particle cannon.  But off in the distance are matter beam lasers where the plasma carrier frequency is phase locked and "monochromatic" like a laser but delivers particles in a coherent wave like manner.

No, no!  A FEL is just a laser, albeit a very short wavelength one.  "Free electrons" just means that there are no nearby, strong enough fields to "bias" or affect the electrons; they are allowed to start in a high energy state and then relax "freely" by traveling a certain distance, and in so doing, emit coherent electromagnetic energy... a laser, or still a "string" of photons.

As for the plasmon device, well, that may be more promising in terms of a "phaser".

[Stormbringer]

I think they have to consider somehow using the speed of photons to deliver the punch of something with mass, like neutrons or protons...  a phaser!  That's the ticket!  A phaser!

FEL output has reached 10KW. the next generation will reach minimal effective output for weapons application. the FEL is a free electron laser. a sort of hybrid laser beam particle cannon.  But off in the distance are matter beam lasers where the plasma carrier frequency is phase locked and "monochromatic" like a laser but delivers particles in a coherent wave like manner.

No, no!  A FEL is just a laser, albeit a very short wavelength one.  "Free electrons" just means that there are no nearby, strong enough fields to "bias" or affect the electrons; they are allowed to start in a high energy state and then relax "freely" by traveling a certain distance, and in so doing, emit coherent electromagnetic energy... a laser, or still a "string" of photons.

As for the plasmon device, well, that may be more promising in terms of a "phaser".

Hmmmm. I seem to recall an article where the Laser cleared a path forthe electrons from the FEL to travel straight down thus using the photons and the more KE delivering electrons both.

[E_Look]

The electrons' speed (same as energy) are what determine the wavelength of the laser emission.  The electrons themselves are not part of the emission; they are need to produce the laser!

[Stormbringer]

The electrons' speed (same as energy) are what determine the wavelength of the laser emission.  The electrons themselves are not part of the emission; they are need to produce the laser!

+-I nkow how they normally work but this was a weapon app and it was in a book about DE weapons like lasers and particle beams the FEL in question used a laser to create a path for the follow-on beam of electrons. the FEL was the source for both beams.

[E_Look]

Ummm... the electrons will always be slower than the light.  They would have to come after the laser hits.  A one-two punch?

[Stormbringer]

Yes but. see the laser clears a path for the electrons. see stuff in between the beam and the target is much worse on a charged particle beam than  a laser and you know how bad it is on just a laser. With out the laser the electron beam would zig zag like a lightning bolt or arc out and fritter out almost immediately.

[Sirgod]

Cool!  I just might get my X-wing yet!

Traiter!  This is a StarTrek site. 

Stephen

[NJAntman]

Although I can follow the conversation I won't even pretend to understand what you two are saying. Thus I ask, Would an airborne laser of this type and size be able to reach out and touch a satellite in low earth orbit?

[E_Look]

A laser, even a demonstration type found in schools, should be able to go quite far, so a satellite from an airplane is not hard; but, how much power do you want it to still have when it gets there?  That is another issue.

[Stormbringer]

Well the ABL is actually up to thirty high powered lasers put into one beam. (Think Death Star here) It's range is several hundred kilometers. it is not designed (at least as far as unclassified articles say) to shoot down satellites. But if you go to their web site you will find a diagram of the layered defense that has an object in the upper left corner that is labled SBL. That laser can destroy missiles (and planes) in flight. (put the two together.) and BTW thanks to some loudmouthed congressmen we know that there are several of those satellites up there in orbit all ready. the little speech on the steps of congress by POd democratic senators about "...a classified sattelite that is a threat to peace and could start a new arms race in space but we can't say anything else because it is classified...and that it had one of three like that in the past few budgets" could not have been about a spy satellite.

[E_Look]

Some people are traitors.  Some Americans do not love America.  I just hope the public is smart enough to connect the dots.  Oh, what?  Oh yes, ... lasers.  Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.  Yeah, that's it.  We back on track yet?

[Stormbringer]

Sure! Those sats are cool tho'

[14G_Tiger]

What happens if that laser misses its target?  Does it hit the closest building in its LOS?

[Stormbringer]

What happens if that laser misses its target?  Does it hit the closest building in its LOS?

It might. depends on alignment. it would be rare for it to lign up on a building as well as the target. this is a boost phase weapon at least as it is presented. however there is no reason it could not fire at a weapon in all stages of flight. technically. also it relies on adaptive optics in order to propagate through the shimmery atmosphere. So it's beam is focused a certain way in order to reach the target and still be able to damage it. it is likely that the beam would therefore attenuateto some degrtee between the miss and an accidental hit; probably quite a lot. the adaptive technique would cause the beam to decohere and antennuate at other ranges and atmospheric conditions.

[Dracho]

Oh man.. wait til duck season!  Those bad boys will hit the ground cooked!

Woo Hoo!