Missile Defense Agency

Feb. 11, 2010 - An infrared image of the Missile Defense Agency’s Airborne Laser Test Bed (right) destroying a threat representative short-range ballistic missile (left).

Feb. 11, 2010 - This sequence of images shows a threat representative ballistic missile’s breakup resulting from a high energy laser engagement by the Missile Defense Agency’s Airborne Laser Test Bed.

Feb. 11, 2010 - At 8:44 p.m. (PST), a short-range threat-representative ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform. Within seconds, the ALTB used onboard sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting.

Jan. 10, 2010 - The Airborne Laser Test Bed (ALTB) research and development platform successfully fired the onboard High Energy Laser (HEL) to engage an instrumented target missile, called a Missile Alternative Range Target Instrument (MARTI). This test demonstrated the full functionality of the ABTBL system to successfully acquire, track, and engage a boosting target. Test instrumentation aboard the MARTI collected data to evaluate ALTB laser system performance. This test engagement was not intended to lethally destroy the missile. The MARTI was launched from San Nicolas Island, located in the Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range, off the central California coast. This test provides data to support the ALTB platform's attempt of the first lethal shootdown of a boosting ballistic missile using directed energy technology, scheduled for 2010.

On July 21, 2009, at Edwards AFB, Calif., the Airborne Laser Test Bed’s first chemical flight test demonstrated the safe flow of chemicals through all laser systems.

The Airborne Laser Test Bed operates aboard a modified Boeing 747-400, and is a platform for continuing directed energy research.