Northrop Grumman's aircraft-mounted laser moves forward in testing

We're beginning to think the US government is playing tricks with our head. Let's see, in late 2004, a Boeing anti-missile airborne laser achieved first light; in October of 2006, a laser-equipped 747-400F was deemed ready for testing; in January of 2007, an MD-10 with Northrop Grumman's Guardian anti-missile system took off; now, we're back to the testing stage? Something doesn't add up. Whatever the case, we're being fed information that leads us to think that the US Air Force's Airborne Laser has moved on to some "other" stage of testing. More specifically, engineers are making sure its "sequencing and control" functions are operating normally. Unsurprisingly, we're left in the dark as to when this thing will see action (again?), but consider our interest piqued for a reason The Man didn't intend.

[Dones @ Jul 30th 2008 1:15PM]

They haven't yet mastered the popcorn-filled house technique just yet.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 30th 2008 1:27PM]

Yea, I'm just going to go ahead and say that you must have replied to the wrong thread.

This one happens to be about lasers and airplanes.

[Shane @ Jul 30th 2008 1:31PM]

@Lowest Ranked

ZING!!!

Real Genius reference FTW!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089886/

[Frun @ Jul 30th 2008 1:32PM]

@ Dones
You must me a real genius!

[Neal @ Jul 30th 2008 1:59PM]

Most here are too young to have seen that movie, let alone get the reference ;)

So true though, this was "cutting edge" tech in that movie back in the 80's when Val Kilmer wasn't a bloated has been.

[Jake Tobak @ Jul 30th 2008 2:03PM]

It was released in 1985, I was born in 1988, and I've seen it. It's on Comedy Central probably a couple times a year :P

[blackfeather @ Jul 30th 2008 2:03PM]

dang. you beat me to it. +2 for you.

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 2:32PM]

hey... Val was good in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang... (albeit still a bit bloated)

[iEye @ Jul 30th 2008 1:19PM]

I'd rather have them working on Sharks with Frickin Laser beams attached to their Frickin heads...

...and a couple of those working Terminator skeleton robots with lasers would be nice to have the next time there is a war...

[whatishalo? @ Jul 30th 2008 1:28PM]

How about Angry Sea Bass instead??

[greg @ Jul 30th 2008 2:14PM]

screw it. how about some Fembots with machine gun jubblies?

[Blah @ Jul 30th 2008 1:21PM]

It's a trick! Soon we will witness the full power if this FULLY ARMED and OPERATIONAL airborne laser system!!!

[Knives_Out @ Jul 30th 2008 1:23PM]

haha. good one palpatine.

[andres @ Jul 30th 2008 1:26PM]

next up Boeing will invent a new airplane strangely resembling a shark.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 30th 2008 1:28PM]

1st is the worst
2nd is the best
3rd is the.....

[swanic @ Jul 30th 2008 1:29PM]

The Northrop Grumman Guardian system is totally different from the Boeing Airborne Laser System, you idiots.

The former uses low power laser beams to spoof IR guided handheld SAMs, causing them to lose target lock and go awry.

The latter is a multi-megawatt chemical laser that can actually destroy ballistic missiles from hundreds of kilometers away. The laser system has been tested on the ground but they are inching toward actually firing the laser from the 747 in flight.

[Rogue_Genius @ Jul 30th 2008 2:40PM]

I'll take "condescending" for $200, Alex.

[quomen @ Jul 30th 2008 1:31PM]

All they need are the shark mounts and they're good to go.

[YAL-1 @ Jul 30th 2008 1:32PM]

here's a timeline that might clear things up:
2004 - high energy COIL laser powers on (in a lab, not the plane)
2006 - boeing 747-400F finishes up aircraft modifications; prepared for laser installation
2007 - low energy, surrogate laser (not the real thing - think big flashlight) installed on plane for testing of beam control/fire control systems
2008 - high energy COIL finally installed on the plane - time to blow up some missiles?

[CanisMinor @ Jul 30th 2008 2:26PM]

"2006 - boeing 747-400F ... prepared for laser installation
2008 - high energy COIL finally installed on the plane"

Um, but this article says the Northrup Grumman system is being installed on an MD-10. Where in your timeline do they transform the B-747 into an MD-10? or is it just that your timeline is incorrect, and others are correct when they say these are TWO DIFFERENT systems...?

[YAL-1 @ Jul 30th 2008 4:21PM]

my timeline is correct for the air force YAL-1, Airborne Laser - the MD-10 is another plane and laser system entirely.

[Sam @ Jul 30th 2008 1:43PM]

Call me when they perfect they shark-mounted laser beam.

[Kevin Fox @ Jul 30th 2008 1:58PM]

Swanic has it right. The Boeing system is intended to proactively blow up ICBMs and other missles from hundreds or thousands of miles away. The Northrom Grumman system is designed to blind shoulder-launched missiles that are attacking your plane.

The former is intended to intercept, say, a nuclear-tipped missile from North Korea. The latter is designed to be installed on every commercial jet to protect itself.

Carry on. Nothing to see here.

[John @ Jul 30th 2008 2:11PM]

Dr. Hathway called Chris Knight into his office and told him he was gonna fail. Then Chris got together with Mitch and built the laser to go with Kent's Phase-Conjugate Tracking System and that really cool mirror.

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 2:33PM]

...turd?

[Aaron @ Jul 30th 2008 2:47PM]

YAL-1 and Kevin Fox are right, without one possibly confusing detail.

There are two laser systems, "Guardian" which is to protect airplanes from surface to air missiles and "Airborne Laser" which is an anti ballistic missile system. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor on Guardian, and I believe makes the laser. Boeing is the prime contractor on Airborne Laser but the laser is also made by Northrop Grumman.

[Scott @ Jul 30th 2008 3:11PM]

It helps if you know what you are talking about. The information is public domain and not difficult to find.

The Air-Born Laser (ABL) is an anti-ballistic missile system based on a Boeing 747, Northrop Grumman is building the laser for that project. Boeing is handleing the aircraft and avionics. (This is what the article refers to, the enormous chemical laser used in the ABL)
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/

The Guardian is a different project, it is a countermeasure anti-missile system like flares or chaff. It uses a non-destructive infrared laser to blind optically guided missiles. This is out of testing and is available for installation on commercial airliners.
http://www.es.northropgrumman.com/countermanpads/index.html

Please Engadget, your job is to report the news, you could atleast spend 5 minutes doing a little research.

[Mike_NYC @ Jul 30th 2008 4:09PM]

thank you for writing that

[Scott @ Jul 30th 2008 3:12PM]

It helps if you know what you are talking about. The information is public domain and not difficult to find.

The Air-Born Laser (ABL) is an anti-ballistic missile system based on a Boeing 747, Northrop Grumman is building the laser for that project. Boeing is handleing the aircraft and avionics. (This is what the article refers to, the enormous chemical laser used in the ABL)
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/

The Guardian is a different project, it is a countermeasure anti-missile system like flares or chaff. It uses a non-destructive infrared laser to blind optically guided missiles. This is out of testing and is available for installation on commercial airliners.
http://www.es.northropgrumman.com/countermanpads/index.html

Please Engadget, your job is to report the news, you could atleast spend 5 minutes doing a little research.

[Scott @ Jul 30th 2008 3:13PM]

DAMN! Sorry.

I guess I could be more patient with the silly comment system too.

[pete @ Jul 30th 2008 3:18PM]

Now if we could only get Kent to stop touching himself.

[Jason @ Jul 30th 2008 3:22PM]

3rd is the one with the hairy chest, according to my former elementary school peers

[Morris @ Jul 30th 2008 4:24PM]

The ABL is an incredibly complex beast.
There are at least two lasers besides the one which shoots down the missle (the HEL). They needed to be developed and tested before the HEL could go online.
The HEL needed to be tested at several power levels.
Basically once you give it full power you had better be really sure it is pointing where you want it, and that it will go where you point it.
The project contains lots of hardware and software to make sure that anything you wouldn't want to hit (houses, cars, commercial air traffic, satellites) can't be hit. All of this had to be tested before the HEL could be brought even close to full power.

[Ayle @ Jul 30th 2008 5:53PM]

Pew pew?

[egloskerry @ Jul 30th 2008 8:00PM]

Now we know what those Welsh signs were warning us of! Yeah, I know it's a satellite, but you get the idea.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/28/welsh-get-incomprehensible-anti-gps-signs/