Dawn of the Airborne Laser

Others think the laser itself will work but could fail in its prime mission; in other words, that the ABL may be better suited for attacking long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles and satellites than short-range weapons that operate within relatively compact geographic areas. "Theater ballistic missiles have shorter-powered flight time at lower altitudes where the atmosphere is denser," says Ted Postol, a professor of science, technology and national security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Going against an ICBM would be easier because the missile undergoes longer-powered flight, and the intercept would occur in less atmosphere."



The ABL still has a host of milestones to achieve before it quiets the naysayers. After it's airborne in a couple of years, it will attempt to hit dead-on a series of target boards suspended from balloons, followed by objects towed behind a high-altitude aircraft. Sounding rockets launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico will serve as the next round of targets, and the ABL's final test will be to shoot down a ballistic missile similar to a Russian Scud.



If all goes well and the ABL is accepted into service, the laser might qualify for any number of other missions. Perhaps the most novel application for the ABL is the possibility that it may be used to shoot down enemy planes. That was suggested in a recent Air Force report that said this could be accomplished by using mirrors mounted on airships to extend the range of the laser beam and deflecting a beam straight down onto targets rather than at oblique angles through dense atmosphere. "In our study, the time-on-targets were reasonable," says Ted Wong, the retired laser scientist who led the Air Force panel. "A matter of a few seconds on target seemed enough to cause damage. A lot of targets we're looking at are not that hard. Aircraft, sensors and radars can be (highly vulnerable) to thermal effects."



In the meantime, Congress is so pleased with the results of the ABL project that it has already appropriated money to purchase a second airplane for conversion into an ABL-a passenger version of the 747-400 with an extended upper deck to house the entire crew, eliminating the current, highly complicated airtight midcabin bulkhead separating the crew from the laser. This airplane will likely be the first to become truly combat-ready. If the project does get that far, decades of secret laser efforts will finally emerge from the world of briefing presentations and war games to become hardware. After long yearning for the power of the gods, the United States may soon be able to deliver a bolt from the blue.

Mark Farmer, a writer and photographer in Anchorage, Alaska, maintains an action-packed Web site: www.topcover.com.