U.S.-Israel laser test successful

WASHINGTON -- The United States and Israel have scored their first success in demonstrating that a laser system can shoot down incoming enemy rockets.

The U.S. Army succeeded in a test to destroy a stationary target with a laser beam developed by Israel and the United States. The demonstration took place last week at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

U.S. officials said the next stage is for the Tactical High Energy Laser to shoot down an incoming enemy rocket in a test planned for later this month. The chief contractor for the THEL project is TRW Systems.

"It will be the first engagement of the Katyusha rocket by a tactical high energy laser, something that is militarily useful," said Lt. Gen. John Costello, head of the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command. "Frankly, we've designed it with the Israelis because of the threat to northern Israel."

Costello said the initial range would be more than six kilometers, or four miles. Pentagon officials would not release more details.

The U.S. Army will first test THEL against a single Katyusha. That will be followed by a laser system test against a salvo of missiles.

If successful, the THEL will be transferred to Israel, officials said. Development of the laser has taken five years at a cost of nearly $200 million.

Pentagon officials said the military will continue with other laser systems. This includes lasers fired from space to destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles and systems to destroy missiles in the early boost stage.

TRW said a test on March 28 of the Alpha high-energy laser produced a 25 percent increase in the system's output power. The Alpha is planned for the deployment of a space-based missile defense system being developed by the U.S. Air Force.