The U.S. military has conducted the first test of an airborne laser weapon system (ABL) mounted on a Boeing 747 heavy aircraft.
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The U.S. Air Force’s Boeing 747 equipped with the ABL laser weapon. Photo: USAF. |
The ABL laser weapon is designed to destroy enemy ballistic missiles at the earliest stages of their launch. Engineers have tested this special type of weapon on the ground, firing a laser from a turret mounted on the nose of the dedicated Boeing 747, targeting hypothetical threats.
In September, engineers successfully fired a high-energy laser at a calorimeter mounted on the aircraft. However, this marks the first time this beam weapon has been fired along the length of the system on the Boeing 747. The ground test was conducted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
During the test, the laser traveled along the length of the heavy aircraft at a staggering speed of one billion kilometers per hour. It moved from the beginning of the system located at the tail of the plane, through the laser beam control system, the launch control system, and was fired from a special turret mounted at the nose of the aircraft towards the simulated target.
Scott Fancher, the head of the missile defense system research at Boeing, stated: “The research team has now completed two key milestones as expected, keeping the ABL weapon program on track to conduct airborne laser tests to destroy ballistic missiles in flight in 2009.”
According to the design, the ABL weapon operates by illuminating the enemy missile with a search laser, while the computer system measures the distance and calculates its trajectory. Once the first laser beam reaches the target, a second, much more powerful laser is fired from the nose of the Boeing 747. Its heat exerts pressure on the missile’s fuel tank, causing it to explode.
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Simulation of the operational mechanism of the ABL laser weapon system against ballistic missiles on a Boeing 747. Photo: Ausairpower. |
Laser weapons are particularly effective against ballistic missiles during their boost phase, as these missiles radiate intense heat during launch, making it easier for the laser to accurately target them. According to a report by the American Physical Society in 2004, the ABL weapon can destroy a liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from approximately 600 kilometers away. However, it is more challenging to intercept missiles that use solid fuel.
This high-energy laser weapon is manufactured by Northrop Grumman, with the objective of destroying all types of ballistic missiles, including tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Its operational energy comes from chemicals commonly found in household cleaners, such as hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide, combined with chlorine gas and water.
The ABL laser weapon research program, which has cost billions of dollars, was initiated by the U.S. over 12 years ago. Engineers are also exploring the potential to use this laser technology to target other aerial threats, including surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, and even enemy aircraft.
