The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a new contract worth up to $30 million for the next phase of development on the Advanced Tactical Laser.
The ATL is a C-130H aircraft outfitted with a 12,000-pound high-energy chemical laser module that would be used as a weapon against ground targets. It’s the smaller sibling of the Airborne Laser, a highly modified 747 under development that packs a similar weapon but that would be used against ballistic missiles.
“Anti-missile lasers will be installed on three American Airlines planes that fly from Kennedy Airport to California as part of a $29 million federal program to see whether the devices can protect commercial aircraft from attacks.
The gizmos - which detect heat from a rocket and then fire a jamming beam - will be operational but won’t be tested on regular passenger flights, the airline said. They have already been tested on non-passenger planes. These tests will examine how the system weathers continuous takeoffs and landings.
The Department of Homeland Security is spending $29 million on the program - and Sen. Chuck Schumer said he’s glad the testing is moving along.
‘We have fought for these for a long time to make sure that our planes are safe,’ said Schumer (D-New York). ‘”
Boeings Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight, then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser, destroying enemy missiles near their launch areas.
The YAL-1A Airborne Laser is a modified Boeing 747-400F, used to target, track, and shoot down ballistic missiles during their boost phase using a megawatt-class laser.
