Team ABL operates high-energy laser module

17 Jun 2002

An airborne laser module constructed by a team from Boeing, TRW, and Lockheed Martin has been successfully tested.

The flight-weighted module (FLM), a megawatt-class chemical iodine laser, was tested June 3 at TRW's Capistrano Test Site and provided "first light". The successful test continues the development of the program; the next step is the process of optimizing the laser operating conditions to achieve the required performance and lasing characteristics.

The ABL, designed to protect against missile attacks such as those used by Iraq during the Persian Gulf War, will use the chemical iodine laser in a 747-400 freighter aircraft to shoot down theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase.

The $1.1 billion contract was awarded in November 1996, but it is rooted in September 1992 contracts to Boeing and Lockheed to assess how well large airplanes would perform if carrying a high-energy laser and beam control system. Both Boeing and Lockheed recommended that the 747 was the best option for the mission.

A concept design study contract was awarded in April 1994, and in 1995 Boeing conducted a series of "flex blue" tests to determine the vibration environment for the Airborne Laser and performed wind tunnel testing of turret designs. TRW began construction of the Baseline Demonstration Laser-2 (BDL-2) and demonstrated a 10 kW power goal at its TRACE facility. In October 1995 Lockheed Martin began beam control tracking, pointing and adaptive optics compensation demonstrations, and the beam control system brassboard was operational by February 1996.

In August 1996 TRW demonstrated that the BDL-2 could meet performance requirements, and in March 1997 TRW began manufacturing the first laser hardware for the system. In September of that year TRW demonstrated that the singlet oxygen generator could meet the ABL mission requirement.

In January 1998 Boeing completed wind tunnel tests which confirmed the design of the nose turret which aims the laser and the laser exhaust system. In April Lockheed Martin used a scaled laser beam control demonstrator to prove that the system could accurately point and focus a laser at a hostile missile hundreds of miles away even in the presence of platform jitter, atmospheric turbulence, or fast engagement timeliness. The laser beam was created by mixing common chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, helium and iodine. It will be aimed by a rotating turret mounted in the nose of the aircraft. The ABL will be capable of autonomous operation at altitudes above the clouds and will be able to locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight and accurately point and fire the laser with sufficient energy to destroy the missiles near their launch areas.

Boeing is the primary partner, with program management and systems integration responsibilities, and is developing the ABL battle management system and modifying the 747-400 aircraft. TRW is building the laser and the related ground-support subsystem, while Lockheed Martin is developing the ABL target acquisition and beam controls.