G.S. Venevtseva - Design Engineer 2 cat., JSC KBKhA (Voronezh). E-mail: galissim@inbox.ru S.V. Asanov - Ph.D. (Eng.), Leading Research Scientist, JSC «Almaz-Antey». E-mail: fhfrfz@yandex.ru

Works on creation of ABL have been stopped even after carrying out in 2010 relatively successful tests of demonstration model ALTB. According to authors of one of the reasons of stopping of work was the big weight of the integrated systems which does not allow to lift the plane-carrier on the demanded height. For fighting application ABL should fly over tropopause to exclude strong influence of atmospheric turbulence in this layer and clouds. After stopping of program ABL the management of the Missile Defense Agency has declared that further works will be continued using high-rise unmanned aircraft as the carrier. Such project is developed by The Boeing Company by request of Department of Defense and has received the name «Phantom Eye». However to lift a laser complex of ABL type on the big height it is necessary to have load-carrying capacity more than 100 tons, that is in 500 times more than the possibilities of the project. It is improbable eEssential weight reduction for the account of application of other types of lasers. Therefore there are technically realized two variants, namely: 1) continuation of program ABL as was planned earlier, but placing of a laser complex with the full-size laser by plane Boing-747-8; 2) placing of an airborne laser complex of ABL type in the pendant container which will lift in air the type of carrier «Stratolaunch carrier aircraft». Indirect demonstration of continuation of works by Americans with reserve use under the program ABL is that fact that ALTB, being now on «junkyard of planes», is exposed to dismantle. Also the airplane with the diagnostic equipment applied for working off ALTB, has passed a number of modernizations and still contains in a ready state to tests. Thus, for today, prematurely to believe that the American program on building of an airborne laser complex with the chemical oxygen-iodine laser capacity in some megawatt is officially declared completed. As judging by the indirect data, works in this direction proceed. There are technically possible at least two variants of finishing of this technology to a condition of the fighting sample. Both realized variants of creation of an aviation complex allow to create the weapon which can be applied only in polar widths that is to a certain extent provocatively from the political point of view.

 

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