[Image: Boeing] Under the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) Phase II contract, awarded Aug. 15, Boeing will complete the design of, then build, test and evaluate, a rugged beam control system on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Boeing also will develop the system-engineering requirements for the entire HEL TD laser weapon system.
Army Moves Ahead With Mobile Laser Cannon
By Noah Shachtman, Wired Magazine, August 19, 2008 12:06:07 PM Categories: Lasers and Ray Guns
The Army is moving ahead with plans to mount a laser cannon on a massive, 35-ton-plus truck.
Army Moves Ahead With Mobile Laser Cannon
By Noah Shachtman, Wired Magazine, August 19, 2008 12:06:07 PM Categories: Lasers and Ray Guns
The Army is moving ahead with plans to mount a laser cannon on a massive, 35-ton-plus truck.
The service just handed Boeing a $36 million contract to "continue developing a truck-mounted, high-energy laser weapon system that will destroy rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds," according to a company statement.
Under the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) Phase II contract, awarded Aug. 15, Boeing will complete the design of, then build, test and evaluate, a rugged beam control system on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Boeing also will develop the system-engineering requirements for the entire HEL TD laser weapon system.
Low power demonstrations are scheduled for 2010, with battlefield-strength laser tests to follow in 2013.
About a year ago, the Army asked Boeing and Northrop Grumman to work up preliminary designs for the HEL beam control system -- and promised to choose a winning model by 2009. So the program appears to be on track. And it's one of a number of energy weapon projects that have been picking up steam, after decades of unfulfilled promise. Relatively easy-to-deploy electric lasers have just about worked their way up to weapons-grade. Boeing recently test-fired the real-life ray gun on its Advanced Tactical Laser -- a blaster-equipped gunship. Raytheon has worked up a prototype of its Phalanx mortar-shooter that uses fiber lasers, instead of traditional ammo, to knock down targets. Even the eternally-delayed Airborne Laser -- a modified 747, designed to zap ballistic missiles -- may finally get a long-awaited flight test.
ALSO:
Laser Gunship Fires; 'Deniable' Strikes Ahead?
Pentagon Looks for 'Rugged, Military Useful' Lasers
Air Force Looks to Laser-Proof Its Weapons
No Laser Blasters. Yet.
Electric Laser Race Heats Up
Russian 'Expert': Soviets Had Laser Cannons First
Laser Gunship Blasts Beams, Preps for '08 Flight Test
Marines Request 'Long-Range Blow Torch' for Iraq
Lasers-Only on "Gunless" Gunship
Air Force Eyes Energy Shields, Microwave Bombs
Navy Pushing Laser 'Holy Grail' to Weapons Grade
Laser Jet Zaps Animated Missiles, Spouts Jargon
Israel's Military Shoots Down Laser Cannon
Israelis Sue Government for Laser Cannon
Laser Weapons Better Against Rockets?
Second life for Laser Defense?
Ray Gun "Holy Grail" Aims for Battlefield Strength
Monster Truck Gets a Laser
Laser Death Star
Laser Weapons Closing in on Reality
Real-Life Laser Rifle: Army Goal
Flipper Fires Lasers in Air Force Brief
Laser Relays Live!
Vice vs. the Flying Lightsaber
Laser Jet Over Oklahoma
Congress Slashes Flying Lightsaber
Pentagon Report: No More 'Death Rays'
Spooky Math for "Flying Lightsaber"
wired: http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/08/army-moves-ahea.html
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Under the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) Phase II contract, awarded Aug. 15, Boeing will complete the design of, then build, test and evaluate, a rugged beam control system on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Boeing also will develop the system-engineering requirements for the entire HEL TD laser weapon system.
Low power demonstrations are scheduled for 2010, with battlefield-strength laser tests to follow in 2013.
About a year ago, the Army asked Boeing and Northrop Grumman to work up preliminary designs for the HEL beam control system -- and promised to choose a winning model by 2009. So the program appears to be on track. And it's one of a number of energy weapon projects that have been picking up steam, after decades of unfulfilled promise. Relatively easy-to-deploy electric lasers have just about worked their way up to weapons-grade. Boeing recently test-fired the real-life ray gun on its Advanced Tactical Laser -- a blaster-equipped gunship. Raytheon has worked up a prototype of its Phalanx mortar-shooter that uses fiber lasers, instead of traditional ammo, to knock down targets. Even the eternally-delayed Airborne Laser -- a modified 747, designed to zap ballistic missiles -- may finally get a long-awaited flight test.
ALSO:
Laser Gunship Fires; 'Deniable' Strikes Ahead?
Pentagon Looks for 'Rugged, Military Useful' Lasers
Air Force Looks to Laser-Proof Its Weapons
No Laser Blasters. Yet.
Electric Laser Race Heats Up
Russian 'Expert': Soviets Had Laser Cannons First
Laser Gunship Blasts Beams, Preps for '08 Flight Test
Marines Request 'Long-Range Blow Torch' for Iraq
Lasers-Only on "Gunless" Gunship
Air Force Eyes Energy Shields, Microwave Bombs
Navy Pushing Laser 'Holy Grail' to Weapons Grade
Laser Jet Zaps Animated Missiles, Spouts Jargon
Israel's Military Shoots Down Laser Cannon
Israelis Sue Government for Laser Cannon
Laser Weapons Better Against Rockets?
Second life for Laser Defense?
Ray Gun "Holy Grail" Aims for Battlefield Strength
Monster Truck Gets a Laser
Laser Death Star
Laser Weapons Closing in on Reality
Real-Life Laser Rifle: Army Goal
Flipper Fires Lasers in Air Force Brief
Laser Relays Live!
Vice vs. the Flying Lightsaber
Laser Jet Over Oklahoma
Congress Slashes Flying Lightsaber
Pentagon Report: No More 'Death Rays'
Spooky Math for "Flying Lightsaber"
wired: http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/08/army-moves-ahea.html
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Stumble ShareThis
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