US Military Pictures & Videos

U.S. Army Pfc. Sean Jamison with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division provides security atop a mountain during Operation Sarak Basta II at Paktika province, Afghanistan, June 19. The operation eliminated an illegal route between the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

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Lance Cpl. Vance C. Fuller, left, and Cpl. Michael A. Liggett, infantrymen with Company K, Battalion Landing Team 3/1, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, provide security during a counterinsurgency field exercise here, July 18. The exercise focused on military operations other than war, preparing the Marines and sailors to protect allies, said 1st Lt. Ryan A. Hall, BLT 3/1 assistant intelligence officer. Liggett, 23, is a Eugene, Ore., native.

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U.S. Army Rangers from 75th Ranger Regiment run towards a mock insurgent building, July 25, as part of an assault on the structure on Fryar Drop Zone, Fort Benning, Ga., as part of the Regiment’s 2011 Ranger Rendezvous events.

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United States Army Rangers from the 75th Ranger Regiment blend into the foliage on Fryar Drop Zone, July 25, during the opening events for Ranger Rendezvous 2011 at Ft. Benning, GA.

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A sniper with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division observes and reports suspicious activity. Snipers have been critical to the Task Force Talon partnered patrols as they are able to identify suspicious activity and report it to the unit on the ground.

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Members of an Afghan and coalition security force pull security on a compound while searching for a Haqqani facilitator in Khost province, Afghanistan, Apr. 5, 2011. The Haqqani facilitator was responsible for the facilitation of weapons, ammunition, and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) materials.

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A member of an Afghan and coalition security force pulls security during an operation which resulted in three insurgents being detained in the Ghormach District, Faryab Province, Afghanistan, Apr. 15, 2011.

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A member of an Afghan and coalition security force helps another team member climb a wall during an operation searching for a Taliban leader responsible for planning IED attacks targeting Afghan and coalition combined forces. Gelan district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan, Jun. 2, 2011.

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A CH-47 Chinook prepares to land and extract members of the combined Afghan and coalition security force after searching for a Taliban leader. During the search the security force detained nine suspected insurgents. Gelan district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan, Jun. 2, 2011

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Members of an Afghan and coalition security force provide security during an operation in Bak district, Khost Province, Afghanistan, May 19, 2011. During the operation, security forces captured a Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) facilitator and one of his associates

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Members of an Afghan and coalition security force conduct operations to disrupt a Taliban safe haven known for Improvised Explosive Device activity and weapons cache sites. Qaisar district, Faryab Province, Afghanistan, Apr. 5, 2011.

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Members of an Afghan and coalition security force provide security during an operation targeting senior Haqqani leaders responsible for conducting high-profile attacks against Afghan government officials, Afghan National army, and coalition forces. Khost Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2011.

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Members of an Afghan and coalition security force exfil after detaining 16 suspected Haqqani Network insurgents during a security operation in Khost Province, Afghanistan, May 18, 2011.

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Jeff Head said:

Thanks Popeye. The AC-103 Gunship is one of the deadliest, most proven wepaons systems around. They have changed the course of enumberable engagements, saved American and allied lives, and wrought destruction on enemies. Real, unsung heroes in those aircraft and a happy site to see (or hear) if you are on the ground and in indian country and trouble.

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The Mk 38 Mod 2 Tactical Laser System couples a solid-state high-energy laser weapon module with the operational Mk 38 Machine Gun System. The addition of the laser weapon module brings high-precision accuracy against surface and air targets such as small boats and unmanned aerial vehicles. The system also provides the ability to deliver different levels of laser energy, depending on the target and mission objectives.

Boeing and BAE Systems have been working together for the past two years to develop this capability. In 2010, Boeing DES conducted two experiments in the field to demonstrate the system’s ability to track surface targets and maintain a laser aimpoint with high precision.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Sept. 1, 2009 -- The 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.

"This milestone demonstrates that directed energy weapon systems will transform the battlespace and save lives by giving warfighters a speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "By demonstrating this capability, the ATL team has earned a distinguished place in the history of weapon system development."

The test occurred less than three months after a June 13 test in which ATL successfully fired its laser from the air for the first time, hitting a target board on the ground. The ATL team plans additional tests to further demonstrate the system's military utility. These demonstrations support the development of systems that will conduct missions on the battlefield and in urban operations.

"The bottom line is that ATL works, and works very well," said Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems' Directed Energy Systems unit. "ATL's components -- the high-energy chemical laser, beam control system and battle manager -- are performing as one integrated weapon system, delivering effective laser beam energy to ground targets."

The ATL industry team also includes L-3 Communications/Brashear, which built the laser turret; HYTEC Inc., which made a variety of the weapon system's structural elements; and J.B. Henderson, which provides mechanical integration support.

Boeing leads the way in developing and integrating laser systems for a variety of customers, including the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy. Besides ATL, these systems include the Airborne Laser, Free Electron Laser, High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator and Tactical Relay Mirror System.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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