Lockheed Martin Demonstrates In-Flight Beam Control for Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser
31 Août 2007 - 9:33PM
PR Newswire (US)
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed
Martin (NYSE:LMT) announced today that the U.S. Missile Defense
Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL) team has demonstrated the capability
to accurately point and focus the elements of the Lockheed
Martin-developed Beam Control/Fire Control system on an airborne
target. The ABL team successfully directed the beam generated by a
surrogate High Energy Laser at a missile-shaped target on the side
of an Air Force KC-135 Big Crow aircraft. To enable the surrogate
beam to focus on the simulated target, the system first located and
tracked the target, determined range to the target and then
compensated for atmospheric turbulence. This significant milestone
verifies the ability to maintain the focus of the laser beam while
continuously tracking a target. "The key functions of the Beam
Control/Fire Control system now have been verified in the rigorous
environment of flight," said Art Napolitano, ABL program director,
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "This important
accomplishment is a testament to the government-industry
partnership on ABL and brings this revolutionary capability one
step closer to reality." In test flights this year aboard the ABL
aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., ABL Beam Control/Fire
Control accomplishments have included the following. -- The first
open-air lasing in flight occurred with the successful firing of
the Track Illuminator Laser. The Raytheon-developed Track
Illuminator Laser fired multiple times to engage a simulated target
on a Big Crow aircraft and calculated the range to the target. --
The first in-flight firing of the Beacon Illuminator Laser in
conjunction with the Track Illuminator Laser demonstrated the
ability of the Northrop Grumman-developed Beacon Illuminator Laser
to provide the signal used to measure atmospheric turbulence, as
part of the Beam Control/Fire Control system. -- The first
in-flight engagement sequence involved firing both illuminator
lasers and controlling a surrogate High Energy Laser in a simulated
target engagement. The Beacon Illuminator illuminated the simulated
target to measure atmospheric distortion, and a deformable mirror
made compensating corrections to the surrogate High Energy Laser to
maintain maximum energy on target. ABL will destroy a ballistic
missile during its boost phase, while it is still accelerating in
the Earth's atmosphere and before it can deploy its warheads. The
ABL program is managed by the Missile Defense Agency and executed
by the U.S. Air Force from Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque,
N.M. The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), the prime contractor for ABL,
provides the modified aircraft and the Battle Management System and
is the overall systems integrator. ABL partners are Northrop
Grumman (NYSE:NOC), which supplies the High Energy Laser and the
Beacon Illuminator Laser, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., which provides the Beam Control/Fire
Control System, including the nose-mounted turret. Lockheed Martin
is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air
and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first
operational hit-to-kill missile. It also has considerable
experience in missile design and production, infrared seekers,
command and control/battle management, and communications,
precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal
processing. The company makes significant contributions to most
major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several
global missile defense partnerships. Headquartered in Bethesda,
Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales
of $39.6 billion. Media Contact: Lynn Fisher, 408-742-7606; e-mail
DATASOURCE: Lockheed Martin CONTACT: Lynn Fisher of Lockheed
Martin, +1-408-742-7606, Web site: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/
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