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Boeing Fires Airborne Laser

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.– The Boeing Company, industry teammates, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency fired a high-energy laser through the Airborne Laser’s (ABL’s) beam control/fire control system, completing the first ground test of the entire weapon system integrated aboard the aircraft.

During the test at Edwards Air Force Base, the laser beam traveled through the beam control/fire control system before exiting the aircraft through the nose-mounted turret. The beam control/fire control system steered and focused the beam onto a simulated ballistic-missile target.

“This test is significant because it demonstrated that the Airborne Laser missile defense program has successfully integrated the entire weapon system aboard the ABL aircraft,” says Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. “With the achievement of the first firing of the laser aboard the aircraft in September, the team has now completed the two major milestones it hoped to accomplish in 2008, keeping ABL on track to conduct the missile shootdown demonstration planned for next year.”

Michael Rinn, Boeing vice president and ABL program director, says the next step for the program is a series of longer-duration laser firings through the beam control/fire control system.

“Once we complete those tests, we will begin demonstrating the entire weapon system in flight,” Rinn says. “The team is meeting its commitment to deliver this transformational directed-energy weapon system in the near term.”

Boeing is the prime contractor for ABL, which will provide speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight, says a representative.

The ABL aircraft is a modified Boeing 747-400F whose back half holds the high-energy laser, designed and built by Northrop Grumman. The front section of the aircraft contains the beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin, and the battle management system, provided by Boeing.

Tags: 747, 747 laser, boeing, boeing laser, laser

Israel Adopts New Special Operations Weapon

The Givati Brigade Special Forces elite recce squadron, was chosen to be the first unit to receive the prestigious MTAR 21 Micro-Tavor. Designed and produced by Israel’s Weapons Industries (IWI), it will gradually replace the long-time used Micro Uzi in IDF Special units. The newly issued weapon will considerably enhance close-in urban combat effectiveness of the Givati special operations unit, which spearheads many counter-terror missions.

With length of only 59 cm, MTAR21 is considered to be the shortest 5.56mm weapon in the market, yet its barrel is only five centimeters short of the assault rifle version, thus offering accurate fire. Utilizing a conversion kit, MTAR 21 can be turned into a 9mm sub-machinegun loaded with 25-round magazines. This capability has significant logistical, training and operational advantages for special operations and SWAT units, which usually maintain two dedicated weapons for short and medium range operations.

It is interesting to note, that an Indian version of IMI Micro-Tavor, designated Zittara, is designed by India’s Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for use by India’s special operations units. Zittara differs from the Israeli Micro-Tavor by allowing the use of three different configurations and ammunition types for different situations - a carbine (firing 5.56×30 ammunition), an assault rifle (firing 5.56×45mm) and submachine-gun firing 9×19mm rounds with accuracy of up to 200 meters. These conversions can be performed in the field with standard tools.

Tags: Givati Brigade, idf, Israel, mtar-21, special operations weapon

IDF Robotic Auto Kill Sentry

Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd has developed a networked remotely operated weapon system already guarding the ‘hot borderline’ along the Gaza strip.

The Israeli Army is already operating the Sentry-Tech pillbox towers, mounting remote controlled weapon stations from an operational command center, which is manned by observers, mainly female soldiers, that are round-the-clock monitoring all movement inside the Gaza Strip, primarily the close border perimeter.

As suspected hostile targets are detected and within range of Sentry-Tech positions, the weapons are slewing toward the designated target. As multiple stations can be operated by a single operator, one or more units can be used to engage the target, following identification and verification by the commander. Enabling observers to employ synchronized firepower transformed the observation post into an integrated ’sensor-and-shooter’ platform – capable of assuming some of the risky tasks previously done by rapid reaction forces and aerial attack platforms.

Sentry-Tech utilizes Rafael’s Mini-Samson weapon station installed in Pillboxes or relocateable tower systems. Each unit mounts a 7,62 or 0.5″ machine gun, shielded from enemy fire and the elements by an environmentally protective bulletproof canopy. The system is primarily operated by remote control but can also be operated manually when required. In addition to the use of direct fire machine guns, observers can also employ precision guided missiles, such as Spike LR optically guided missiles and Lahat laser guided weapons.

Tags: auto kill zone, gaza strip, idf, Israel, samson

IED Placement Team Gets Smoked

In this video a group of three insurgents in Iraq are observed from the air planting an IED (Improvised Explosive Device)
After these three stooges are done with their mission they start heading home while still on the FLIR scope of an AC-130 Gun ship and are prodigiously smoked out of existence from an explosive air launched munition.

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Tags: ac-130, flir, ied, munition, video

Self Guided Sniper Bullets Wanted by U.S. DoD

Imagine being a sniper in Iraq, you point your .50-cal (50 caliber round pictured far left standing next to an entire .308 cartridge) rifle using the high power scope at an enemy combatant over 1200 yards away, between you and him are high desert cross winds and heat flows coming off the desert floor which are distorting your view…what hopes do you have of making a shot like this?

Well, if DARPA has it’s way a sniper will just be able to point his rifle, get the enemy anywhere in the scope, fire and then forget, yes, a self guided .50 caliber rifle bullet, sounds like a nearly impossible feat with so many real world variables to contend with, but if DARPA has it’s way it will eventually be realized, although I have to say, I think the financial cost of bringing a project like this to fruition is going to be astronomical and could be the one thing to endanger it’s completion.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking innovative solutions that will expand the knowledge base and design capabilities for the EXtreme ACcuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program. The use of a BAA solicitation allows a wide range of innovative ideas and concepts. The offeror(s) will have the flexibility to develop a tailored program plan that best advances the EXACTO program goals. The EXACTO Program is an advanced technology development and demonstration program to create a self guided, actively controlled .50 caliber sniper rifle system with significantly improved range and accuracy over the current systems.

Darpa won’t say, publicly, how far, how long and how accurate they want the new bullets to be — all that information is classified. But they will say that Exacto should contain a next-gen scope, a guidance system that provides information to direct the projectile, an “actively controlled .50-caliber projectile that uses this information for real-time directional flight control,” and a rifle. “Technologies of interest may include: fin-stabilized projectiles, spin-stabilized projectiles, internal and/or external aero-actuation control methods, projectile guidance technologies, tamper proofing, small stable power supplies, and advanced sighting, optical resolution and clarity technologies.”

Exacto is one of several projects Darpa is developing to make snipers more accurate and more deadly. The agency has earmarked $7.5 million for a laser-guided bullet program. Darpa gave Lockheed $2 million for advanced sniper scopes that could boost kill rates by tenfold, or more. If the system works out as planned, it would actually allow snipers to remain virtually invisible, lost in the “heat haze” in between them and their targets. Our own David Hambling called the project the “next war’s secret weapon.”

Link to Full DARPA Exacto Project Details in PDF:darpa-exacto-project

Tags: .50 cal, 50 caliber, baa, DARPA, exacto, exacto program, rifle, secret project, sniper, weapon, weapon system, Weapons