UNITED STATES - 19 FEBRUARY 2009
Northrop Grumman-Built Laser Demonstrates Long-Duration, Lethal Lasing Onboard Airborne Laser Aircraft
REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Feb. 19, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The high-energy laser built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) successfully fired multiple long-duration blasts onboard the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Airborne Laser (ABL) during intensive ground tests concluded Feb. 12.
Lasting up to three seconds each, the lethal-power firings were conducted to 'tune' the megawatt-class laser by adjusting and balancing the mixture of chemicals that fuel its engine for peak operating efficiency. These settings can now be used for future testing, including the planned shoot down of a ballistic missile later this year.
"The hallmarks of these latest firings are durability and repeatability," noted Dan Wildt, vice president of Directed Energy Systems for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "The duration of each firing of the megawatt-class laser was limited only by ground equipment."
Long-duration operations of the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) followed 'first light' of the high-energy laser through ABL's onboard beam control / fire control (BC/FC) system in the aircraft's hangar at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in November 2008. They were conducted by MDA, ABL prime contractor The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), and Northrop Grumman.
"Our highly experienced ABL workforce has done an outstanding job of reaching this critical point in ground testing," noted Guy Renard, Northrop Grumman's ABL program manager. "These dedicated employees have made huge technical strides toward providing our country with speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight."
For long-duration laser operations, the megawatt-class laser was fired into a calorimeter onboard the aircraft. The calorimeter is a test instrument that captures and measures beam power. Each long-duration test provided the necessary data used to quickly evaluate and 'tune' the megawatt-class laser for peak operation.
The tuned high-power laser will be fired through the on-board BC / FC system into a range simulator to complete ABL's weapon system ground testing phase in the next few weeks, clearing the ABL system to begin weapon system flight tests.
The ABL aircraft consists of a modified Boeing 747-400F whose back half holds the high-energy laser, designed and built by Northrop Grumman. Before being installed, the high-energy laser completed rigorous ground testing in a laboratory at Edwards AFB. The aircraft's front half contains the beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), and the battle management system, provided by Boeing.
U.S. Airborne Laser Program
The Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight, then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser, destroying enemy missiles near their launch areas.
Capabilities:
*Operates autonomously, above the clouds, outside the range of threat
weapons but sufficiently close to enemy territory.
*Engages early, destroying ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight over
launch area.
*Cues and tracks targets, communicating with other joint theater assets for
layered defense system.
Unique Technology:
*Nose-mounted turret with 1.5m telescope that focuses beams on missile
and collects return image and signals
*Beam Control System to acquire and track targets with precision accuracy
Operation
The ABL is designed to detect and destroy theatre ballistic missiles in the powered boost phase of flight immediately after missile launch while the aircraft loiters at an altitude of 40,000ft.
Missile launch is detected by a reconnaissance system such as satellite or airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft and threat data is transmitted to the ABL aircraft by Link 16 communications.
A suite of infrared, wide-field telescopes installed along the length of the aircraft's fuselage detects the missile plume at ranges up to several hundred kilometres.
The pointing and tracking system tracks the missile and provides launch and predicted impact locations. The turret at the nose of the aircraft swivels towards the target and a 1.5m telescope mirror system inside the nose focuses the laser beam onto the missile. The laser beam locks onto the missile, which is destroyed near its launch area within seconds of lock-on.
Where the missile carries liquid fuel, the laser can heat a spot on the missile's fuel tank, causing an increase in internal pressure resulting in catastrophic failure. Alternatively, the missile is heated in an arc around its circumference and crumples under atmospheric drag force or its own g-force.
Northrop Grumman-Built Laser Demonstrates Long-Duration, Lethal Lasing Onboard Airborne Laser Aircraft
REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Feb. 19, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The high-energy laser built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) successfully fired multiple long-duration blasts onboard the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Airborne Laser (ABL) during intensive ground tests concluded Feb. 12.
Lasting up to three seconds each, the lethal-power firings were conducted to 'tune' the megawatt-class laser by adjusting and balancing the mixture of chemicals that fuel its engine for peak operating efficiency. These settings can now be used for future testing, including the planned shoot down of a ballistic missile later this year.
"The hallmarks of these latest firings are durability and repeatability," noted Dan Wildt, vice president of Directed Energy Systems for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "The duration of each firing of the megawatt-class laser was limited only by ground equipment."
Long-duration operations of the Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) followed 'first light' of the high-energy laser through ABL's onboard beam control / fire control (BC/FC) system in the aircraft's hangar at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in November 2008. They were conducted by MDA, ABL prime contractor The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), and Northrop Grumman.
"Our highly experienced ABL workforce has done an outstanding job of reaching this critical point in ground testing," noted Guy Renard, Northrop Grumman's ABL program manager. "These dedicated employees have made huge technical strides toward providing our country with speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight."
For long-duration laser operations, the megawatt-class laser was fired into a calorimeter onboard the aircraft. The calorimeter is a test instrument that captures and measures beam power. Each long-duration test provided the necessary data used to quickly evaluate and 'tune' the megawatt-class laser for peak operation.
The tuned high-power laser will be fired through the on-board BC / FC system into a range simulator to complete ABL's weapon system ground testing phase in the next few weeks, clearing the ABL system to begin weapon system flight tests.
The ABL aircraft consists of a modified Boeing 747-400F whose back half holds the high-energy laser, designed and built by Northrop Grumman. Before being installed, the high-energy laser completed rigorous ground testing in a laboratory at Edwards AFB. The aircraft's front half contains the beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), and the battle management system, provided by Boeing.
U.S. Airborne Laser Program
The Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight, then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser, destroying enemy missiles near their launch areas.
Capabilities:
*Operates autonomously, above the clouds, outside the range of threat
weapons but sufficiently close to enemy territory.
*Engages early, destroying ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight over
launch area.
*Cues and tracks targets, communicating with other joint theater assets for
layered defense system.
Unique Technology:
*Nose-mounted turret with 1.5m telescope that focuses beams on missile
and collects return image and signals
*Beam Control System to acquire and track targets with precision accuracy
Operation
The ABL is designed to detect and destroy theatre ballistic missiles in the powered boost phase of flight immediately after missile launch while the aircraft loiters at an altitude of 40,000ft.
Missile launch is detected by a reconnaissance system such as satellite or airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft and threat data is transmitted to the ABL aircraft by Link 16 communications.
A suite of infrared, wide-field telescopes installed along the length of the aircraft's fuselage detects the missile plume at ranges up to several hundred kilometres.
The pointing and tracking system tracks the missile and provides launch and predicted impact locations. The turret at the nose of the aircraft swivels towards the target and a 1.5m telescope mirror system inside the nose focuses the laser beam onto the missile. The laser beam locks onto the missile, which is destroyed near its launch area within seconds of lock-on.
Where the missile carries liquid fuel, the laser can heat a spot on the missile's fuel tank, causing an increase in internal pressure resulting in catastrophic failure. Alternatively, the missile is heated in an arc around its circumference and crumples under atmospheric drag force or its own g-force.
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