Boeing announced Tuesday that its Advanced Tactical Laser aircraft achieved another milestone when its high-energy laser successfully engaged a moving ground vehicle for the first time during a September test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The laser was fired at the vehicle as the aircraft flew overhead; it put a hole in the vehicle’s fender, said Boeing. This test built upon a previous test against a stationary vehicle back in August. “ATL has now precisely targeted and engaged both stationary and moving targets, demonstrating the transformational versatility of this speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage,” said Gary Fitzmire, program director of Boeing’s directed energy systems unit. The ATL is a modified C-130H that fires the laser out of a belly turret.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.