Hughes has developed every tactical high energy laser pointing and tracking system ever built for the U.S. Armed Forces.
High energy laser pointing and tracking technology was pioneered by Hughes. In June 1996, the SEA LITE Beam Director, originally developed by Hughes for the U.S. Navy, successfully illuminated and actively tracked a ballistic missile in its boost phase - marking another historic "first" and step forward toward a high energy laser system for ballistic missile defense. During the experiment conducted at White Sands Missile Range by the U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory, SEA LITE, which is the world's most advanced high energy laser beam control system, incorporated a low-power pulsed laser to demonstrate this capability.
In February 1996, SEA LITE scored the first ever shoot-down of a short-range rocket by a laser beam. This event was part of the Nautilus technology demonstration program being conducted by the U.S. Army and the Israel Ministry of Defense. Hughes laser pointing and tracking systems have demonstrated in earlier programs the capability to acquire and track supersonic missiles, and then disable them with a focused beam of intense laser energy.
Hughes' legacy in pointing and tracking technology began 27 years ago with the design and development of the ground-based Field Test Telescope. Other successful ground-based and airborne system demonstrations included the Navy Pointer Tracker and the Airborne Pointer Tracker/Airborne Laser Laboratory, which was mounted in a modified KC-135 aircraft.
The Hughes Electro-Optical Systems business segment is a world leader
in the design and production of electro-optical systems, including laser
and infrared sensors and associated data and image processing systems for
space, airborne and surface applications. Major products include laser rangefinders,
illuminators and sensors; infrared imaging and fire control systems for
aircraft, combat vehicles, ships and submarines; and space-based electro-optical
sensors that are deployed on satellites for defense and scientific applications.