WASHINGTON, APRIL 4: The US is considering to develop air-borne lasers to destroy ground targets, according to Defence News weekly.If the concept works, it could neutralise within minutes an entire enemy convoy, it said.The Airborne Tactical Laser integrates a 300-kilowat chemical-oxygen iodine laser onto a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, CH-47 Chinook helicopter, AC-130 gunship or possibly even ground vehicles, such as a 5-ton truck or the army's future combat system.It quoted military officials as saying the system could be used for either lethal or non-lethal firepower. It offers a long-range capability currently unavailable with non-lethal weapons and can counter tactical, operational and strategic targets.The US Air Force research laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico first developed the technology for the airborne laser, which is designed to knock out incoming ballistic missiles from a Boeing 747-400 platform.The laser uses intense heat, roughly equivalent to that of a cutting torch, to melt metal and slice through enemy targets.The concept has been developed under a joint non-lethal weapons directorate contract of more than a quarter million dollars, and now is being considered for further development through an advanced concept technology demonstration, the Defence News said.The system likely will weigh between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds, according to a source with Boeing company. It boasts a 10-kilometre range for ground-to-air operations and 20 kms for air-to-air or air-to-ground operations."What is really slick about this is the standoff distance of several kilometres and being able to put a 4-inch sot with precision from an airborne platform against a moving target," said Marine Col. George Fento, Director of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate.Col Fenton said "if you have a convoy dipersed withnon-combatants, and your mission is to stop that convoy with minimal casualties, in a matter of 40 seconds, you can engage individual targets and electively disable that convoy until it is no longer combat effective."The 40 seconds would be actual engagement time. Targeting may take another 5 to 30 seconds, according to Don Slater, Boeing's Systems Integrator for the airborne tactical laser.
