The US Air Force is seeking Congressional approval to reprogramme $38 million of funds for fiscal year 2001 to keep the Airborne Laser (ABL) project on track for a live-fire demonstration in 2003.
In addition, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and TRW, the ABL contractors, will each contribute $20 million this year with the expectation that the USAF will reimburse them in 2002.
The move is needed to cover contractor tasks that must be performed now, but which are budgeted for in later years. The money will also cover unforeseen technical issues arising in the on-going development phase involving laser and beam control development and airworthiness testing.
Col Ellen Pawlikowski, ABL programme director, acknowledges that the project has seen technical challenges, but she says there are no "show-stoppers". She says the ABL programme will be delayed 15 to 20 months if the money is not reprogrammed.
Last year, the White House cut the ABL's proposed FY01 funding by $92 million. Congress, however, restored $85 million, boosting the budget to $234 million.
The ABL is in a $1.1 billion programme definition and risk reduction phase. Boeing is responsible for the aircraft, TRW is building the chemical oxygen-iodine laser and Lockheed Martin is working on the optical system. A Boeing 747-400, being converted to a YAL-1A ABL prototype, is about 60% through its modification. It is set to be rolled out this October with first flight with a laser turret scheduled for February 2002, says Pawlikowski.
It will be tested against theatre ballistic missiles targets beginning in September 2003. The initial intercept test would have been delayed by two years had Congress not restored the $85 million.
Successful flight testing would lead to a 30-month engineering and manufacturing development phase, beginning in early 2004. Three aircraft could be operational by late 2007 followed by four others two years later.
Source: Flight International
