An Assessment of the Airborne Laser (ABL) Tao B. Schardl December 12, 2007 Pictures from: (Left) http: //www. boeing. com/defense-space/military/abl/index. html; (Reight) http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Airborne_laser
Outline • Overview of ABL – System Description – Technical Challenges – Previous Development • • • Recent Developments Schedule Budget Concept of Operations Program Assessment
Overview of ABL • Ballistic Missile Defense System • Destroys TBMs from range with High. Powered Laser • Capable of Destroying TBMs during Boost Phase • Currently in prototyping phase Picture From: http: //www. boeing. com/defense-space/military/abl/pics-clips/index. html
System Description • • • Megawatt-class COIL Beam Control/Fire Control System Battle Management System Nose-Mounted Turret Active Ranging System
Technical Challenges • Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser • Adaptive Optics • Cooperation between Beam Control/Fire Control/Battle Management Systems • Stable optical benches; “benchless” optical systems • Weight
Previous Development • Airborne Laser Laboratory, 1980’s • Invention of COIL, 1977 • Project begins in November 1996 – Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman • Moved under MDA in 2001 – Adopted “capabilities-based” approach in 2002 • Program restructured in February 2004
Recent Developments • 2005 – First motion of turret in flight • 2005 – Ground based demonstration of COIL • 2007 – Successful testing of beam control, fire control, and battle management systems in flight Image from: http: //www. boeing. com/defense-space/military/abl/pics-clips/index. html
Schedule • Block 2008 – Integrate COIL with aircraft and existing systems – Ground tests, flight tests – Lethality Demonstration, 2009 • Block 2010 – Design of second aircraft, initial fabrication of weapon components – Initial capability decided
Budget • Traditionally well-funded by Congress • FY 2008 – Bush Administration requested $548. 8 million – House defense authorization bill decrease request to $298 million – Senate version placed request at $348 million • Recent demonstration in Congressional lack of faith in ABL – Favoring kinetic kill vehicles
Concept of Operations • Number of aircraft to acquire – Number needed to effectively cover theater for extended time – Number needed to cover multiple theaters • Highly visible, lingering near enemy territory for extended periods of time • Need for many aerial refuelings • Use as anti-satellite weapon
Program Assessment • Valuable for generated research in optics, lasers • Notable progress in project recently towards 2009 lethality demonstration • Serious CONOP problems • Losing support from Congress, MDA • Still much progress to make after completing first aircraft
Questions?
Скачать презентацию An Assessment of the Airborne Laser ABL Tao
f8c28d2b2baa25ac93564d15e2fbe700.ppt