Airborne Laser offers new era for ballistic missile defense

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The revolutionary Airborne Laser weapon consists of three major subsystems:

-- An oxygen-iodine laser that generates intense light by chemical reaction and then focuses the light into a tight beam that can be delivered against targets hundreds of miles away.

-- A beam control and targeting assembly that aims the beam with extreme precision and compensates for atmospheric distortion to maintain lethal levels of energy over long distances.

-- A battle management suite that detects and tracks hostile missiles, and then coordinates the engagement sequence so that laser energy is deposited on the missiles while they are still in their vulnerable boost phase.

The latter subsystem uses a half-dozen infrared sensors and several low-power lasers to find targets and measure the factors relevant to achieving maximum performance from the larger oxygen-iodine laser.

Unlike other missile defense systems, which require one or more interceptors to destroy a single ballistic missile, an ABL can destroy up to 20 missiles before its chemical supply is depleted and must be refilled. Thus, a handful of ABL planes potentially could provide around-the-clock protection against fairly sizable missile attacks emanating from a country such as North Korea.

Experts estimate that ballistic missiles propelled by liquid fuel could be successfully intercepted using ABL at distances up to 360 miles, while less vulnerable solid-fuel missiles could be destroyed at distances up to 180 miles.

Since ABL is an airborne system, it can be deployed anywhere in the world on short notice. In addition to its primary mission of intercepting ballistic missiles, it is intrinsically capable of performing other missions such as early warning of missile launches, estimation of launch and impact points, target cueing of other defensive systems and defense against airborne targets such as cruise missiles.

Some observers have suggested ABL could also be used for attacking targets on the Earth's surface or in orbit, although the current system architecture is not designed to support those missions. Nonetheless, ABL is a highly versatile system, and enjoys strong support from both the Missile Defense Agency and combatant commanders.

The program is scheduled to conduct its first shootdown of a realistic target in 2009, after which the experimental aircraft performing that feat will be available for real-world missions if needed.

The Airborne Laser is the most revolutionary system in current missile defense plans, combining speed-of-light interception with low costs per kill and global mobility. Its scheduled shootdown of a ballistic target in 2009 will be the first time such a feat has ever been achieved at great distance by a high-power laser.

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(Part 11: The Network Centric Airborne Defense Element)

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(Loren B. Thompson is chief executive officer of the Lexington Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based think tank that supports democracy and the free market.)

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(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)