The US will soon have almost complete protection against conventional ballistic missles with the SM-3, THAAD and now this.
Anti-Ballistic Missle Laser Aircraft Complete
- Thread starter Finn McCool
- Start date
The US will soon have almost complete protection against conventional ballistic missles with the SM-3, THAAD and now this.
FriedRiceNSpice
Captain
What is the range of this laser? Since it is to interecept the missiles in their boost phase, wouldn't it have to operate within enemy territory? Although plausible in nations such as North Korea and Iran, how could such an aircraft penetrate thousands of miles into China or Russia? But anyways, I guess that is a moot point since THAAD and SM-3 can easily intercept all of the Chinese ICBMs and a majority of the Russian ones.
DarkEminence
New Member
That is a good question...you would have to be inside of enemy territory. Now that you brought this up, I am beginning to think this is a waste of money. Unless it was not designed for boost-phase intercept, and just a general interecept....and then it would make sense
silverster
New Member
It's a hoax from the beginning. Left overs from the old starwars concept...
It exists
The ABL doesn't burn through a missile, or disintegrate it. Rather it heats the missile skin, weakening it and causing failure due to flight stresses. If proven successful, a fleet of seven Boeing 747s with the ABL system would be constructed. In operation they would be divided between two combat theaters.one of these loitering at the Sea of Japan ad pretty much most of NK missiles will be shot down.
From wiki
While designed mainly for use against tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), which are shorter ranged and move slower than ICBMs, the ABL has more recently been considered for possible use against ICBMs during their boost phase. This would be more challenging since the longer range of ICBMs would limit the ability of the ABL to reach them. By contrast, tactical ballistic missiles are fired from closer range; hence, the ABL could more easily intercept them without overflying hostile territory. However, some liquid fueled ICBMs have thinner skins than TBMs, so they would be easier to damage. Also, the boost phases of ICBMs are much longer, which gives more time to track and fire on them. But, in general, the ABL would likely be less effective against ICBMs.
A 2003 report by the American Physical Society on National Missile Defense found that if the ABL achieves its design goals it could be successful against liquid fueled ICBMs at a range of up to 600 km. However, its effective range against tougher solid fueled ICBMs would only be 300 km--likely too short to be useful in many scenarios.
Intercept sequence
The ABL system uses infrared sensors to initially detect the missile. Then three lower power tracking lasers calculate the missile's course and speed, aimpoint, and measure atmospheric turbulence. Atmospheric turbulence deflects and distorts light, so the measured turbulence is used by the ABL adaptive optics system to compensate. After that the main laser is fired for 3 to 5 seconds from a turret located on the aircraft's nose, causing the missile to break up in flight near its launch area. The ABL is not designed to intercept TBMs in the terminal, or descending phase. Thus the ABL must be within a few hundred kilometers of the missile launch point.
Operational considerations
The ABL uses chemical fuel similar to rocket propellant to generate the high power laser. Current plans call for sufficient laser fuel for about 20 laser shots. If a more difficult target such as an ICBM required a longer duration "dwell time" to disable, this would decrease the number of available shots before refueling the laser. If less difficult targets such as shorter range TBMs required less dwell time, possibly 40 laser shots could be made without refueling. The ABL aircraft must return to base and land to reload more laser fuel. Preliminary operational plans call for the ABL to be protectively escorted by fighter and possibly electronic warfare aircraft. The ABL aircraft would likely fly a figure eight pattern near suspected launch sites for long periods, awaiting an intercept target. A figure eight pattern prevents the aircraft from having to turn away from the target area as long as the orbit is designed such that both turns are towards the target area. It can be refueled in flight, staying aloft for long periods. The goal would be to stay over friendly territory and fire inward across hostile territory to intercept the missile.
The ABL doesn't burn through a missile, or disintegrate it. Rather it heats the missile skin, weakening it and causing failure due to flight stresses. If proven successful, a fleet of seven Boeing 747s with the ABL system would be constructed. In operation they would be divided between two combat theaters.one of these loitering at the Sea of Japan ad pretty much most of NK missiles will be shot down.
From wiki
While designed mainly for use against tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), which are shorter ranged and move slower than ICBMs, the ABL has more recently been considered for possible use against ICBMs during their boost phase. This would be more challenging since the longer range of ICBMs would limit the ability of the ABL to reach them. By contrast, tactical ballistic missiles are fired from closer range; hence, the ABL could more easily intercept them without overflying hostile territory. However, some liquid fueled ICBMs have thinner skins than TBMs, so they would be easier to damage. Also, the boost phases of ICBMs are much longer, which gives more time to track and fire on them. But, in general, the ABL would likely be less effective against ICBMs.
A 2003 report by the American Physical Society on National Missile Defense found that if the ABL achieves its design goals it could be successful against liquid fueled ICBMs at a range of up to 600 km. However, its effective range against tougher solid fueled ICBMs would only be 300 km--likely too short to be useful in many scenarios.
Intercept sequence
The ABL system uses infrared sensors to initially detect the missile. Then three lower power tracking lasers calculate the missile's course and speed, aimpoint, and measure atmospheric turbulence. Atmospheric turbulence deflects and distorts light, so the measured turbulence is used by the ABL adaptive optics system to compensate. After that the main laser is fired for 3 to 5 seconds from a turret located on the aircraft's nose, causing the missile to break up in flight near its launch area. The ABL is not designed to intercept TBMs in the terminal, or descending phase. Thus the ABL must be within a few hundred kilometers of the missile launch point.
Operational considerations
The ABL uses chemical fuel similar to rocket propellant to generate the high power laser. Current plans call for sufficient laser fuel for about 20 laser shots. If a more difficult target such as an ICBM required a longer duration "dwell time" to disable, this would decrease the number of available shots before refueling the laser. If less difficult targets such as shorter range TBMs required less dwell time, possibly 40 laser shots could be made without refueling. The ABL aircraft must return to base and land to reload more laser fuel. Preliminary operational plans call for the ABL to be protectively escorted by fighter and possibly electronic warfare aircraft. The ABL aircraft would likely fly a figure eight pattern near suspected launch sites for long periods, awaiting an intercept target. A figure eight pattern prevents the aircraft from having to turn away from the target area as long as the orbit is designed such that both turns are towards the target area. It can be refueled in flight, staying aloft for long periods. The goal would be to stay over friendly territory and fire inward across hostile territory to intercept the missile.
Cant understand the point of developing such a system.
This heavy defense less system has to be with in line of sight of target missile. also it should get the missile in its boast phase.
If you can get so close to the missile launch sites then why not use a cruise missile or some other system to distroy the system even before its launched. Even if we assume that this system can loitter so close, then enemy will be alerted and will set off the ICBM/IRBM, because this system aint stealth thats for sure.
better options are high speed kinetic energy missile interceptors (such as developed by LM/ Boeing) which can also intercept such missile launches in boast phase.
also flying such an aggressive system will only increase tension and mistrust and in the end will only escalate the problems.
This heavy defense less system has to be with in line of sight of target missile. also it should get the missile in its boast phase.
If you can get so close to the missile launch sites then why not use a cruise missile or some other system to distroy the system even before its launched. Even if we assume that this system can loitter so close, then enemy will be alerted and will set off the ICBM/IRBM, because this system aint stealth thats for sure.
better options are high speed kinetic energy missile interceptors (such as developed by LM/ Boeing) which can also intercept such missile launches in boast phase.
also flying such an aggressive system will only increase tension and mistrust and in the end will only escalate the problems.
The ABL doesn't have to be close. It can engage liquid fuel ICBMs', the once North Korea has, at 600 km. Furthermore, the engagement rate is instantaneous. The laser can travel from the aircraft to the missile at the speed of light, so there is no lag time.
The airborne laser doesn't burn through a missile, or disintegrate it. Rather it heats the missile skin, weakening it and causing failure due to flight stresses.
Preliminary operational plans call for the ABL to be protectively escorted by fighter and possibly electronic warfare aircraft. The ABL aircraft would likely fly a figure eight pattern near suspected launch sites for long periods, awaiting an intercept target. A figure eight pattern prevents the aircraft from having to turn away from the target area as long as the orbit is designed such that both turns are towards the target area. It can be refueled in flight, staying aloft for long periods. The goal would be to stay over friendly territory and fire inward across hostile territory to intercept the missile.
The American Physical Society on National Missile Defense found that if the ABL achieves its design goals it could be successful against liquid fueled ICBMs at a range of up to 600 km. However, its effective range against tougher solid fueled ICBMs would only be 300 km--likely too short to be useful in many scenarios.
The_Zergling
Junior Member
I still can't see how this would be a very effective defense, mainly because of line of sight limitations, and the fact that laser power diminishes quite noticeably with distance.
I don't think that the pilots of the aircraft would have to rely on eyesight to engage the target. It probably tracks the ICBM with a radar or similar system, or multiple of these systems combined. I am not sure of the Lasers' effective range, but it has to work or it wouldn't be in production. I would agree with what IDont said on the range, those seem like somewhat accurate estimations.
even if the range estimates are right, still there are many ways one can counter this system. future systems can have missile body built from material that can deflect/reflect the laser beam/energy.
or one can fire ICBMs in silo mode, as that will make interception by such systems nearly impossible.
what i see as future application of such system is as an air-defence plateform. this type of system can successfully intercept aircrafts over long distances.