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Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser Fires High-Power Laser In Flight
Albuquerque NM (SPX) Jun 23, 2009 Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have successfully fired the high-power laser aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft for the first time in flight. During the test, ATL took off from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and fired its laser while flying over White Sands Missile Range, N.M., successfully hitting a target board located on the ground. ATL, which Boeing is developing for the U.S. Air Force, is a C-130H aircraft equipped with a chemical laser, a beam control system, sensors and weapon-system consoles. "This successful test is a major step toward bringing directed energy capability to the warfighter," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Directed Energy Systems. "We have demonstrated that an airborne system can fire a high-power laser in flight and deliver laser beam energy to a ground target. ATL's ultra-precision engagement capability will dramatically reduce collateral damage." More tests are planned to demonstrate ATL's military utility. The system is designed to destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage. These demonstrations support development of systems that will conduct missions on the battlefield and in urban operations. The Boeing-led ATL industry team includes L-3 Communications/Brashear, which built the laser turret; HYTEC Inc., which made a variety of the weapon system's structural elements; and J.B. Henderson, which provides mechanical integration support. Boeing leads the way in developing laser systems for a variety of Air Force, Army and Navy applications. These include the Airborne Laser, the Free Electron Laser, the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator, Laser Avenger, the Re-deployable High Energy Laser System and the Tactical Relay Mirror System. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Learn about laser weapon technology at SpaceWar.com
Raytheon Awarded Contract For ONR's Free Electron Laser ProgramTewksbury MA (SPX) Jun 12, 2009 The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has awarded Raytheon a 12-month contract to develop the preliminary design of a 100 kilowatt experimental Free Electron Laser for the U.S. Navy. This preliminary design is the first of a three-phase ONR Innovative Naval Prototype program worth more than $150 million. "Free Electron Lasers use superconducting electron accelerators to produce ... read more |
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