ABL Intercept Update

With the Airborne Laser's next shoot-down attempt of a boosting ballistic missile target due to take place by the end of next month, the system recently went through a "continuing series of calibration and targeting tests," Missile Defense Agency spokesman Rick Lehner tells Inside Missile Defense.

According to the FAA Notice to Airmen posted late last month:

FDC 0/3348 ZDC SPECIAL NOTICE.. EFFECTIVE FROM 1007230400 UTC UNTIL 1008010400 UTC, AIRBORNE LASER OPERATIONS WILL BE INTERMITTENTLY CONDUCTED ABOVE FL400 WITHIN 50NM MILES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE FROM KLFI TO KBKT TO KSDF TO KLRF TO KEFD. THE NON-VISIBLE, DOWNWARD SCANNING LASER BEAM MAY BE INJURIOUS TO PILOTS'/AIRCREWS' AND PASSENGERS' EYES TO A DISTANCE OF 4,500 FEET BELOW THE AIRCRAFT. TO PREVENT INJURY THE AIRCRAFT WILL BE OPERATING AT THE TOP OF AN ATC ASSIGNED 5,000 FOOT ALTITUDE BLOCK DURING ACTIVE LASING OPERATIONS. THIS AREA WILL BE MONITORED BY OBSERVERS AND OPERATION OF THE LASER WILL BE TERMINATED IF NON PARTICIPATING AIRCRAFT ARE DETECTED ENTERING THE AFFECTED AREA. THE CONTROLLING CENTER WILL BE NOTIFIED PRIOR TO THE START OF LASER OPERATIONS AND AGAIN WHEN LASER OPERATIONS ARE TERMINATED.

The above notice refers to the time frame between July 23 and Aug. 1 in an area "out over the Pacific off Point Mugu and vicinity," Lehner said. No missile intercepts were attempted during the tests, he added.

The House Armed Services Committee in May approved a $50 million increase for directed-energy research and the Airborne Laser Test Bed program "to facilitate the testing and development of technologies that are most likely to yield operational capabilities in the future," strategic forces subcommittee Chairman James Langevin (D-RI) said.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Turner (R-OH) said at the time that he was "particularly pleased" with the ALTB funding increase. "It was clear that the budget request was not sufficient to support further flight testing using the Airborne Laser Test Bed as well as mature innovative directed energy technologies," he added.