Boeing 12,000lbs Chemical Laser well on its way

This is already pretty much a complete, working system.

Boeing's Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) which is being developed for the Department of Defense, will destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations, Boeing said.

Original story is at:
www.networkworld.com...

Slashdot entry with comments is at:
science.slashdot.org...

I'm not sure how many times this has already been covered here, but this time the entire system is complete and ready to be used. Several sources state that accuracy of this system is almost 100%, which is a hell of a lot more than with intelligent, smart precision bombs.

Positive side of this is that it is way too expensive to be effectively developed to wide-spread use.

Another link: Dec. 11, www.defensetech.org...
The other option discussed is putting a smaller unit in the F-35 in place of the vertical lift fan assembly, for use in areas where enemy SAM coverage is better.
It's telling that the USAF believes it's air dominanace and ECM's are so complete that it can mount this system on a C-130 without fear of shoot downs.

It's mounted on a C-130 for testing purposes. It hasn't been decided that a C-130 will carry it or not. It is simply the best platform for carrying it to test. This laser hasn't even been shot from a plane yet, and won't be until sometime in 2008. There is talk of mounting it on an AC-130, however it is currently mounted on a C-130H.

Officials said a C-130H transport that belonged to the U.S. Air Force's 46th Test Wing was being modified to contain a high-energy chemical laser. The platform would also contain battle management and beam control subsystems.

Under the program, Boeing would test the aircraft in July 2006. The aircraft would have all subsystems on board except the high-energy laser. Officials said a low-power surrogate laser would be used instead of the kilowatt-class, high-energy laser.

At the same time, the high-energy laser would be completed in Albuquerque, N.M. Officials said the first ground tests of the laser would take place in the summer of 2006.

By 2007, Boeing plans to install the laser on the aircraft and operate the weapon during flight. The laser, designed to be fired through an existing 50-inch-diameter hole in the aircraft's belly, would be demonstrated for military missions.

www.insightmag.com...

Hi guys, it’s me again.

I’m sure we’re all familiar with terms like COIL and ABL.

Here’s the thing with infrared oxygen-iodine based laser, to fuel its reaction it’s necessary to use a vapor-phase hydrogen peroxide solution.

That means that it’s essentially a bomb. Running lab tests is dangerous enough, but cramming all that stuff into an airplane and actually flying with it is like juggling water balloons filled with nitroglycerin, the explosive type.

Let me elaborate. If anybody remembers, the official reason behind Kursk submarine tragedy is a malfunctioned hydrogen peroxide based torpedo which leaked and exploded.

Now think taking HUGE tanks of this stuff and putting them on the airplane, then going airborne and having to fly where the bad guys shoot missiles left and right.

Other then that, other then rapid oxidation, things get very interesting when hydrogen peroxide gets irradiated by microwaves.

Typical microwave operates at round 2.4 GHz, so if you know basic safety procedures, feel free to try that one at home, (hydrogen peroxide in a sealed vessel) and then imagine what happens when the frequency is around 10 GHz and pulse generated.

Even on ATS there are threads like this;

www.abovetopsecret.com...

And I’m sure somewhere there is a thread about the “non-lethal” HUMVEE mounted “crowd control” microwave pulse emitter, but now think BIG, phased array pulsed emitter, focusing a 10+ GHz beam on one of those flying oxygen-iodine/ hydrogen peroxide tanks.

BOOM comes to my mind, but all those 3d renderings of ICBMs being blow up kind of makes people think that it’s all good.

I do have to give credit and respect to the crews of those planes, because they surely know that basically they are flying a bomb with wings, so all I have to say is that those guys got brass ones!