Airborne Laser Fires Tracking Laser, Hits Target
AFL's news story was important because it reported the Airborne Laser's (ABL) success in precisely tracking an object through the atmosphere. The New York Times story, "Plan for Airborne Laser Weapon Is Attacked," reported that much of the doubt surrounding ABL was its ability to fire a laser through turbulence, which could distort the beam. There are multiple lasers utilized by the ABL that measure turbulence between the primary COIL laser and its target. Once the turbulence has been identified, the COIL produces a "mirror image" of the turbulence so that it can arrive at its target intact. |
