The Beam Control Fire Control System for the world's first airborne megawatt-class laser weapon system has completed initial flight testing. This system was designed to detect, track and destroy hostile ballistic missiles in the vulnerable boost phase of flight. It was developed by Lockheed Martin for the Airborne Laser (ABL) program, which is managed by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Boeing is the ABL industry team leader, aircraft provider and weapon system integrator. Northrop Grumman supplies the high-energy laser segment, and Lockheed Martin provides the Beam Control Fire Control System, which aims and focuses the ABL's high-energy laser beam.

Earlier, the low-power passive capabilities of the Beam Control Fire Control system were successfully demonstrated at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. However, in this later phase of testing, which began in December 2004, the Beam Control Fire Control system met the major requirements during more than 20 flights aboard the YAL-1A aircraft, which is a specially configured Boeing 747-400F. This testing phase verified the Beam Control Fire Control system's target tracking capability and its ability to align the high-energy laser's full optical path in the dynamic environment of flight. Other accomplishments included collecting of data in the flight environment to verify the jitter performance of the Beam Control Fire Control System and in-flight exposure of the flight turret assembly's conformal window, which employs sophisticated optical glass through which the laser passes.

In the next phase, the two illuminator lasers will be installed and active ground and flight testing will be conducted at Boeing's Wichita, Ks., facility.

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