Airborne Laser Completes Laser Ground Tests (Missile Defense)

Boeing ^ | Dec. 12, 2005

[pissant]

Excellent. Laser defenses are the future missile defense. We can thank Ronald reagan for having the foresight to move this thru. Another legacy for one of the best leaders the world has ever seen.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Put one of these on a BUFF and it would be nearly impossible to bring it down.

[SlowBoat407]

I drank what?

[Lazamataz]

I love it when a plan comes together.

[FEARED MUTATION]

Won't work in the fog though, right? :)

[ClearCase_guy]

Anyone know the energy requirements for this? Rate of fire? Range? Sounds pretty cool.

[SlowBoat407]

Won't work in the fog though, right? :)

Depends on the wavelength, I think.

[FEARED MUTATION]

Not according to the naysayers. They would have you believe that there is absolutely no way, in any form, could any laser system work in any capacity, in anything other than completely clear sky between source and target.

I happen to believe otherwise.

[Righty_McRight]

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I'd love to see the range safety plane of live testing. We wouldn't want to accidently ZAP a peaceful Iranian spy satellite, would we?

[SJSAMPLE]

Fog at 35,000 feet?
It's intended to burn up the skin of a missile during the boost phase.

[steel_resolve]

I would like to test this on Tookie.

[FEARED MUTATION]

Clouds and pollutants at 35,000 feet. Some of the earlier material also suggested it could initiate attacks at lower altitudes, perhaps for anti-ship missiles and such. I'm waiting for the naysayers to chime in and tell us this can't be done.

[leda]

ping

[Reaganesque]

It's designed to intercept missiles in their boost phase (i.e.: when they're taking off). At initial takeoff, it may well be in fog. As it flies, it may encounter clouds. However, with a laser, we're talking about speed of light engagement. One hundred eighty six thousand miles per second. We're also talking about an automated targeting system capable of aquiring and shooting down missiles in times measured in seconds if not fractions thereof. So, unless there is unbroken, dense fog/cloud cover from ground level to the upper levels of the atmosphere, if the system gets even just a glimpse of the missile, it has an excellent chance of shooting the missile down. This is a minor problem at best.

[rustyncrusty]

The "old one" wasn't too bad.


http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/all.htm

[Waverunner]

Will the planes nickname be

1. Darth Vader's Death Star

2. Big Ronnie's Shining Light

[Falcon4.0]

Love that movie.

[grayforkbeard]

Won't work in the fog though, right? :)


Heh heh.

No worries about any fog bank on this one.
Buy time they have acquired the target it will be well above any little fog bank and into clear air. With the engine still running it will be quite visible and vulnerable. With adaptive optics they should have some ability to see and shoot right through the clouds.

This is the leading edge of a whole new game.

Sort of like when the tank was introduced.