US Airborne Laser (ABL) shoots down boosting ballistic missile

Jeff Head · Feb 13, 2010

US Missile Defense Agency said:
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February 11, 2010

Airborne Laser Testbed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment

The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile. The experiment, conducted at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast, serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology. The ALTB is a pathfinder for the nation’s directed energy program and its potential application for missile defense technology.

At 8:44 p.m. (PST), February 11, 2010, a short-range threat-representative ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform. Within seconds, the ALTB used onboard sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting.

This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform. The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies.

Less than one hour later, a second solid fuel short-range missile was launched from a ground location on San Nicolas Island, Calif. and the ALTB successfully engaged the boosting target with its High Energy Laser, met all its test criteria, and terminated lasing prior to destroying the second target. The ALTB destroyed a solid fuel missile, identical to the second target, in flight on February 3, 2010.

The Christian Science Monitor said:
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February 12, 2010

Last night, the military officially entered the age of airborne laser weapons. A large laser mounted to the front of a modified 747 jet successfully detected and shot down a ballistic missile while both were in mid-flight.

Remembering the Frisbee inventor and his simple sports innovation
.The airborne laser program – part Star Wars (the sci-fi flick) and part Star Wars (the Strategic Defense Initiative) – has taken years of work and billions of dollars it get here. But the Pentagon can now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station.

"While ballistic missiles like the one [the Airborne Laser Testbed] destroyed move at speeds of about 4,000 miles per hour, they are no match for a super-heated, high-energy laser beam racing towards it at 670 million mph," says defense contractor Northrop Grumman in a release after announcing the successful test Friday.

Thursday night, a test missile fired from an "at-sea mobile launch platform" – likely a ship or submarine. The 747 detected the liquid-fueled missile and fired three different beams. The first, a low-energy laser, allowed the system to track the missile. Its second blast monitored the atmosphere between the aircraft and the target to better hone the final stage.

Once the system has locked on, it powers up what Boeing calls "the most powerful mobile laser device in the world." The third stage actually involves six laser modules, each the size of a sport-utility vehicle, that fire in unison through a telescope-like lens located at the front of the 747. "When fired through a window in the aircraft's nose turret, it produces enough energy in a 5-second burst to power a typical household for more than one hour," says the US Air Force.

The beam cannot slice through a missile, lightsaber-style, but rather heats up pressurized portions of weapons, rupturing them. In Thursday's test, the airborne laser disabled the test missile two minutes after it launched.

Here are several pictures of the ABL:

Here is an infrared image of the engagment and destruction of the ballistic missile:

Diagrams of how the ABL works and is configured:

The Airborne Laser (ABL) is just one portion of the US's developing Baliistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). As of these successful tests, all of the components have been successfully tested agains ballistic missiles. And four of the five components are already deployed (AEGIS BMD, Patriot ADCAP-3, THAAD, and the Ground Based Interceptor.

victtodd · Feb 14, 2010

Kudos to the geeks!:nutkick:

However, given the limited range (160km), the caveat is how to safely deploy a large aircraft near the launching pad of the ballistic missiles. Would it be more pratical to tweak the system to intercept the end-phase of missiles?:coffee:

Jeff Head · Feb 14, 2010

victtodd said:
Kudos to the geeks!:nutkick:

However, given the limited range (160km), the caveat is how to safely deploy a large aircraft near the launching pad of the ballistic missiles. Would it be more pratical to tweak the system to intercept the end-phase of missiles?:coffee:

Actually, the range is much greater than that once the design reaches its design goals (which it is close to doing now).

For tactical ballistic missiles, it is 600 km.

For liquid fueled ICBMs it is also 600 km.

For solid fueled ICBMs it is 300 km, which is admittedly too short to do much good against any large land mass nation who would place those ICBMs well within their land mass, at much greater range and behind a lot of air defense. Too dangerous for the ABL to enter into such hostile air space.

As to the end phase, the US already has components in place for that, being the AEGIS BMD (which also can hit in the boost and ascent phase) and the PAC-3 and THAADS systems which are both already deployed.

victtodd · Feb 14, 2010

Jeff Head said:
Actually, the range is much greater than that once the design reaches its design goals (which it is close to doing now).

For tactical ballistic missiles, it is 600 km.

For liquid fueled ICBMs it is also 600 km.

For solid fueled ICBMs it is 300 km, which is admittedly too short to do much good against any large land mass nation who would place those ICBMs well within their land mass, at much greater range and behind a lot of air defense. Too dangerous for the ABL to enter into such hostile air space.

As to the end phase, the US already has components in place for that, being the AEGIS BMD (which also can hit in the boost and ascent phase) and the PAC-3 and THAADS systems which are both already deployed.

That´s indeed impressive!

And PLA should speed up its own ABL, not necessarily airborne-based. A land-based mobile ABL on Tibet plateau would suffice to neutralize any threat from that direction.:china::nono:

Scratch · Feb 14, 2010

Is there any data on how often the laser can shoot, and or what the time interval between engagements is for re-energyzing?

In the end I believe such a system might be usefull against north korean missiles maybe, where there's only a small land mass to hide lauch ocations in and where the ABL can get close withouth to great a danger.

Generaly I think, however, that the NCADE concept is much more promising for the task of engaging BMs in their boost phase. Have a stealth high-altitude UCAV fly around the opponoents airspace and have it launch those AMRAAM missiles with IR seekers at the BM.
Although, in that context, what about the air-launched PAC-3 I've read about, anything coming out on that end?
Launching those from F-15s or B-1s seems also an option here.

Jeff Head · Feb 14, 2010

Scratch said:
Is there any data on how often the laser can shoot, and or what the time interval between engagements is for re-energyzing?

The ABL system uses infrared sensors for initial missile detection. After initial detection, three low power tracking lasers calculate missile course, speed, aimpoint, and air turbulence. The main laser, located in a turret on the aircraft nose, is then fired for 3 to 5 seconds, causing the missile to break up in flight near the launch area. The entire sequence occurs in approximately 8 to 12 seconds.

The ABL uses chemical fuel similar to rocket propellant to generate the high laser power. Current plans call for the 747-400 to carry enough laser fuel for up to 40 low-power shots against fragile TBMs. It has not been reported how long the ABL will require between shots. It is feasable that they could fire the COIL every 15-30 seconds.

Scratch said:
In the end I believe such a system might be usefull against north korean missiles maybe, where there's only a small land mass to hide lauch ocations in and where the ABL can get close withouth to great a danger.

Since the weapon is primarily for use against TBMs (though liquid fueld ICBMs are also a possibility) even a nation such as Iran, whose TBMs may need to be located realtively near their own border for use against longer range targets, would also be potential targets.

Scratch said:
what about the air-launched PAC-3 I've read about, anything coming out on that end? Launching those from F-15s or B-1s seems also an option here.

Have not heard the latest on this, but will look into it.

crobato · Feb 14, 2010

If you think about it, there is money to be saved with direct energy weapons. Mainly lower cost per kill vs. projectiles and missiles.

In an age where you need to get the most bang out of the dollar, we expect direct energy weapons research to intensify in the next decades, probably deployable weapons after 2020.

Jeff Head · Feb 14, 2010

crobato said:
If you think about it, there is money to be saved with direct energy weapons. Mainly lower cost per kill vs. projectiles and missiles.

In an age where you need to get the most bang out of the dollar, we expect direct energy weapons research to intensify in the next decades, probably deployable weapons after 2020.

Agreed. And with the amount of shear power available on the new CVN-78 carriers, I would not be surprised to see, at some future date, a direct energy CIWS there. It's already being bantied about.

SampanViking · Feb 17, 2010

Fascinating technology, but still I think very much in the development phase. I think they are being a little bit coy with some details, particularly with the amount of time it took to "kill" the target.

On the one hand we have Jeffs 4-5 seconds to destruction, on the other we have the "within two minutes of launch". I watched a Youtube video of the shot which was 40 seconds long during which the laser was being continually fired and without any obvious destruction of the target. How much time was edited out before and after is anyones guess.

I think to work, it really needs to be a capable of killing in a few seconds. I also wonder about possible countermeasures, especially if countermeasures have a minute or two in which to work. Laser Kill vehicles may be new, but Laser targetting is not and weapons that find and follow Laser Beams are well established in all modern armies, as everybody well knows.

adeptitus · Feb 22, 2010

I'm curious as to the ABL's capability in self-defense role against SAM? If you're going to fly within 300 km to destroy a BM near its launching area, you'd be within range to SAM systems such as the S-400 (400 km) and future S-500 (600 km). Would the ABL be capable to destroying multiple incoming SAM targeting the ABL aircraft itself? Perhaps a future addition of a smaller self-defense laser system?

US Airborne Laser (ABL) shoots down boosting ballistic missile

Jeff Head

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victtodd

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Jeff Head

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victtodd

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Scratch

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Jeff Head

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crobato

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Jeff Head

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