Evolutionary Air and Space Global Laser Engagement
Encyclopedia
The Evolutionary Air and space Global Laser Engagement (EAGLE) is a missile defence plan being developed by the United States Air Force
.
The project is a combination of two separate missile defense
efforts: the Aerospace Relay Mirror System and a new, high-altitude airship
. The project is designed as a means to destroy enemy missile
s before they would have the opportunity to hit targets on American
soil. It involves using either ground-based, air-based or space-based laser
s deflected off a massive airship (roughly 25 times the size of the Goodyear blimp
) covered in mirrors that could destroy missiles but also satellite
s or spacecraft in a low-earth orbit
.
The first tests of the airship were scheduled to begin in 2006. Its current status as of 2011 is unknown.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
The project is a combination of two separate missile defense
Missile defense
Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missiles , its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged...
efforts: the Aerospace Relay Mirror System and a new, high-altitude airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
. The project is designed as a means to destroy enemy missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s before they would have the opportunity to hit targets on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soil. It involves using either ground-based, air-based or space-based laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s deflected off a massive airship (roughly 25 times the size of the Goodyear blimp
Goodyear Blimp
The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events...
) covered in mirrors that could destroy missiles but also satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s or spacecraft in a low-earth orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
.
The first tests of the airship were scheduled to begin in 2006. Its current status as of 2011 is unknown.