he Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 30 defeated a ground target from the air with the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, demonstrating ATL’s first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a tactically representative target. During the test, the C-130H aircraft took off from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and fired its high-power chemical laser through its beam control system while flying over White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The beam control system acquired the ground target — an unoccupied stationary vehicle — and guided the laser beam to the target, as directed by ATL’s battle management system. The laser beam’s energy defeated the vehicle.
As this test proves, the Laser has huge potential as a tool for assassination. Lasers have the potential to zap individual bad guys without causing the same kind of collateral damage as a Hellfire missile or small-diameter bomb. There are no pictures of the “defeated” vehicle, but I have a call into Air Force public affairs at the base and am waiting to hear back with some kind of description of the damage the laser inflicted on the target. Will update with more info when possible. Update: I confused ABL and ATL in an earlier version of this post — I haven’t been keeping up with my lasers. Update II: Ms. Elizabeth Thorn, 808th Armament Systems Group Director, sends along some answers:
1. Can more detailed damage assessment information from latest ATL test be provided? Answer: Not at this time — post-test damage assessment analysis is underway. 2. What does “Defeat” a ground target mean? Answer: The ground target will temporarily/permanently be unavailable for its intended use. 3. How far along is testing. Are there more tests planned? Answer: The testing conducted in support of the ATL program is nearing completion. There is one remaining test event currently scheduled for 17 Sep 09.
Not quite the specificity one might have hoped for, but there it is — and a pretty exciting test result all the same.
