Senators signaled their support for the Advanced Tactical Laser concept Tuesday during the vote on the 2010 defense spending bill when they agreed to an amendment that would set aside $5 million in RDT&E funding for the Air Force to expand evaluations and analyses. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and Sen. Tom Udall (D-Utah) sponsored the legislation, which calls for USAF to carry out additional evaluations on a variety of targets and to work with an independent federally funded R&D center to review the feasibility of integrating a solid state laser system on B-1, C-130, and F-35 aircraft for use in a close air support role. In August, Boeing demonstrated the use of a high-energy chemical laser aboard a C-130 ATL demonstrator to strike a ground vehicle.
Hypersonic ARRW Readied for Booster Flight
March 8, 2021
An AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon hypersonic missile is being readied for its first booster flight at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the Air Force announced March 5. The missile that flies within the next month will not be an all-up round. Instead, the test will run the missile through…