The Airborne Laser Test Bed (ALTB) was an advanced platform for the Department of Defense's directed energy research program. Using two solid state lasers and a megawatt-class Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser housed aboard a modified Boeing 747-400 Freighter, the ALTB demonstrated the potential of using directed energy as a viable technology against ballistic missiles.

The MDA has transitioned its Directed Energy Research program from ALTB to development of a next-generation airborne platform for missile defense missions. The ALTB program accomplished its key MDA Knowledge Point when it successfully shot down a boosting missile in February 2010 and completed the contract in November 2011. Recently, classified hardware and laser chemicals were removed from the aircraft as part of its preparation for storage.

The aircraft was processed into storage at the 309th Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

Total funding appropriated to the program since the Missile Defense Agency took it over in fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2011 was $4.1B.

The ABL/ALTB built and tested the world's first airborne megawatt-class laser and demonstrated the ability to acquire and track a boosting missile, actively compensate the high energy laser for atmospheric distortions, and place a stabilized laser spot on a boosting missile over hundreds of kilometers. The program then demonstrated the laser kill of a solid fueled boosting missile and destruction of a representative foreign ballistic missile in flight and verified these accomplishments by placing and measuring lethal energy on instrumented missiles in flight. These accomplishments demonstrated the viability of a directed energy weapon for missile defense.

The MDA is developing highly efficient electric lasers that, when combined with the potential benefits of operation on high altitude, low-mach airborne platforms will significantly reduce the complexity and cost of future directed energy weapons. In parallel with laser development, a high-altitude platform test program will verify high altitude flight characteristics and provide data to concept development of the next-generation airborne platform for missile defense missions. .

The remaining Science and Technology objectives will be accomplished by other service and agency programs as needed to support their requirements.

Check out the information in our History Resources. We also have brief descriptions and limited media available for the following previous programs:

• Clementine,
• HAWK,
• Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX),
• Navy Theater Ballistic Missile Defense System (Navy TBMD),
• PATRIOT Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2),
• Precision Tracking Space System (PTSS), and
• Project DUNDEE (Down Under Early Warning Experiment).

All of the elements of the BMDS are described in our System section.
If you still have questions, check out the FAQs for:

• Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD),
• Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC),
• Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD),
• PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3),
• Sensors, and
• Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).