AirBorne Laser

1
AirBorne Laser

• C/3 Jonathan Kim
• February 13, 2004

2
OVERVIEW

• History
• AirBorne Laser (ABL)
• ABL Laser System
• Conclusion

3
HISTORY

• Edward Teller, world-renowned expert in
  thermonuclear energy
• Envisioned large aircraft armed with high-powered
  lasers
• KC-135A originally used
• ALL (Airborne Laser Laboratory)
• Carbon dioxide dynamic laser
• Shot down first target a towed drone May 2,
  1981
• July 26, 1983 shot down five sidewinder
  air-to-air missles
• Showed that laser mounted aircraft could be a
  formidable defensive weapon
• Returned in 1984
• Viewed as impractical
• Laser was too bulky was dependent on external
  power source did not generate enough power to be
  effective at extended ranges
• After Saddam Hussein started using Scuds at US
  troops and its allies in Persian Gulf War,
  concept of air-to-air missile was revitalized
• Received 1.1 billion contract for development in
  1996
• Boeing 747-400F
• Flown to Edwards AFB on December 2002 for
  installments
• Will be fully operational along with seven other
  aircraft by 2008

4
ABL YAL-1A
5
AirBorne Laser (ABL)

• Boeing 747-400F
• Carries
• COIL Laser
• Infrared Surveillance
• High speed target acquisition system
• High precision laser target tracking beam control
  system
• Designed to detect and destroy ballistic missiles
  in its boost phase of flight immediately after
  missile is launched
• Flies at an altitude of 40,000 ft
• Detection of ballistic missiles
• First detected by
• reconnaissance system
• Data transferred to ABL
• ABL searches and destroys
• Able to shoot down 20-40 missiles
• before having to re-supply
• hydrogen peroxide

6
ABL LASER SYSTEM

• Killing Laser Beam / Primary Beam (COIL)
• Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser
• Hydrogen peroxide, potassium chloride, chlorine
  gas, water
• Number of times more powerful than ALLs gas
  dynamic laser
• Much more compact
• Internal source power
• Capable of producing lethal beam over long
  distance
• Operates at infrared wavelength of 1.315 microns
• Located at rear end of fuselage

7
ABL LASER SYSTEM

• Tracking Illuminating Laser Beams (TILL)
• Determines targets range
• Provies initial information about atmosphere
• Provides aiming data for primary beam
• Beacon Illuminating Laser (BILL)
• Provides data of rapidly changing characteristics
  of the atmosphere along the path of the laser
• Gives the laser a clear view

8
OPERATION
9
CONCLUSION

• History
• ABL
• ABL
• Laser
• System

10
QUESTIONS