MEDIA ADVISORY, May 6, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- A laser weapon demonstrator, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the U.S. Army and the Israel Ministry of Defence, destroyed a large-caliber rocket carrying a live warhead on Tuesday, May 4. The successful test of a ground-based, high-energy laser against a new type of threat showed the versatility of the Army's and Israel Ministry of Defence's Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) testbed.
Video footage of the history-making shootdown at the Army's White Sands Missile Range, N.M., will be available Friday, May 7, as indicated. All footage is being provided courtesy of Northrop Grumman, the Army and Israel Ministry of Defence.
Friday, May 7, 2004 (EDT) Satellite Transponder Frequency ------------------------- --------- ----------- ---------- 5:00 -- 5:15 a.m. AMC 3 C08 D/L 3860 V 7:00 -- 7:15 a.m. AMC 3 C08 D/L 3860 V 9:00 -- 9:15 a.m. AMC 3 C08 D/L 3860 V 11:00 -- 11:15 a.m. AMC 3 C08 D/L 3860 V
Scene Descriptions
MTHEL Testbed Shootdown of Large Caliber Rocket on May 4, 2004
1. Large-Caliber Rocket
(animation)
2. Large-Caliber Rocket Being Fired
(Normal Speed and Slow Motion)
3. Mobile Tactical High-Energy Laser Testbed
Pointer Tracker System
(In ready mode, and then tracking)
4. MTHEL Testbed Lasing in the Infrared
(Earlier image of beam, plus new analog and digital images
from Phoenix camera)
5. Large-Caliber Rocket Being Tracked
(OAT, SAC, CCD)
6. Large-Caliber Rocket Being Lased
(In Slow Motion, Includes CCD, SAC, OAT)
7. Large-Caliber Rocket Destroyed
(Includes our VHS image of puff in sky, plus CCD,
and SLBD IR images)
You can also view the latest video clips, download images, and obtain background information on lasers and the MTHEL program at http://www.st.northropgrumman.com/media/PressKit.cfm?PressKitID=23