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28 March 2002
[Federal Register: March 28, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 60)]
[Notices]
[Page 14917-14919]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28mr02-37]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary; Preparation of a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the Airborne Laser Program
AGENCY: Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Missile Defense Agency is preparing a Supplement to the
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Program Definition
and Risk Reduction (PDRR) Phase of the Airborne Laser (ABL) Program
(April 1997) and Record of Decision (September 1997). This Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will analyze proposed ABL Program
test activities at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), Holloman Air Force
Base (HAFB), and White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico; and
Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), and
the Adjacent Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center (PMNAWC) Sea Range,
California. The SEIS will be prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), and the
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). The ABL is a
laser weapon system installed on a Boeing 747-400F aircraft capable of
operating for extended periods of time. Up to two such aircraft would
be developed. The ABL weapon system is proposed to include four lasers:
Active Ranging System (ARS) Laser (a small carbon dioxide
laser used to begin tracking a target),
Track Illuminator Laser (TILL), (a solid state laser used
to provide detailed tracking of a target),
Beacon Illuminator Laser (BILL), (a solid state laser used
to measure atmospheric distortion), and
High-Energy Laser (HEL), (i.e., Chemical Oxygen-Iodine
Laser (COIL)--a chemical laser used to destroy a target).
An additional laser, a surrogate for the High-Energy Laser (SHEL),
will be used during testing in place of the HEL. The SHEL is a low-
power solid-state laser that would be used in both ground- and flight-
testing. The ABL also would
[[Page 14918]]
include an Infrared Search and Track sensor (IRST) (a passive infrared
device used to identify heat sources). The 1997 PDRR ABL FEIS analyzed
use of a COIL HEL on board an aircraft to destroy ballistic missiles in
the boost phase. The Record of Decision (ROD) on the FEIS documented
the Air Force's decision to proceed with PDRR phase ABL home base
activities at EAFB, diagnostic test activities over WSMR, and expanded
area test activities at VAFB and the PMNAWC Sea Range. Since completion
of the FEIS, specific proposed test activities have been identified and
additional information made available about the proposed testing that
warrant preparation of an SEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Pamelia Bain, Director, External
Affairs, Missile Defense Agency, 7100 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC
20301-7100.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MDA is developing an ABL element of the
Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The BMDS being developed is
intended to provide an effective defense for the United States, its
deployed forces, and its friends and allies from limited missile
attack, during all segments of an attacking missile's flight. The BMDS
includes separate elements to provide a defense during each of the
three segments of missile flight. These segments are boost, midcourse,
and terminal. While multiple elements could be used to defend against
an attack, if necessary, during each of the threat's flight segments,
each BMDS element is designed to work separately to provide a
militarily significant defense, even if no other BMDS element exists.
The ABL element of BMDS is being developed to provide an effective
defense to limited ballistic missile threats during the boost segment
of an attacking missile's flight. The Air Force began development of
the ABL program aircraft in November 1996. In October 2001, ABL was
transferred from the Air Force to the Ballistic Missile Defense
Organization, which was renamed in January 2002 as the Missile Defense
Agency.
Alternatives
Test activities and proposed alternative test locations to be
addressed in the SEIS include:
Ground tests of the ARS, TILL, BILL, and SHEL at KAFB,
WSMR/Holloman AFB.
Flight tests of the ARS, TILL, BILL, SHEL and HEL (i.e.,
COIL) at WSMR;
Flight tests of the ARS, TILL, BILL, and HEL at VAFB and
the PMNAWC Sea Range; and
Ground and flight tests of the ARS, TILL, BILL, SHEL, and
HEL at EAFB.
As proposed, the ABL aircraft would be housed in an existing hanger
at EAFB. EAFB is also where the laser device would be integrated into
the aircraft, where ground and flight tests would occur, and where
initial flight tests of the aircraft would be performed. The ABL
aircraft also would be flown to KAFB to conduct ground testing and
would use existing runways at both bases. Additional flight tests would
take place at WSMR. Both ground and flight tests would take place at
VAFB and the PMNAWC Sea Range. Flight tests that include ABL
destruction of a missile are proposed at WSMR and/or VAFB and the
PMNAWC Sea Range.
PDRR ABL ground tests\1\ are proposed to include tests of
individual components, integration of the components on the ABL, and
ground test of the integrated ABL. Flight tests are proposed to test
each stage of the target acquisition and destruction process. Early
flight tests will test the ARS, TILL, and BILL ability to provide
accurate tracking and targeting. The flight tests will progress to use
of SHEL, and will culminate with tests of the entire ABL element's
ability to destroy a representative threat missile using the COIL HEL.
Targets for flight tests are proposed to include target boards attached
to balloons (MARTI \2\) and to piloted aircraft (Proteus \3\), sounding
rockets, Lance, Black Brant, Aries missiles, and a limited number of
representative threat missiles.
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\1\ Ground tests include rotoplane, billboard, and range
simulator targets. The billboard target is a piece of material such
as Plexiglas or stainless steel that contains sensors. A rotoplane
target is a spinning ground target designed to simulate a missile in
flight.
\2\ Missile Alternative Range Target Instrument (MARTI) Drop is
a balloon with a target board attached used during flight tests.
\3\ Proteus Aircraft is a manned aircraft with a target board
attached that is used during flight tests.
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Although the FEIS (1997) analyzed both ground and flight tests
involving the COIL HEL, the majority of these tests have not yet been
performed. All tests proposed for the ABL PDRR phase are summarized in
the following table. The table includes the tests analyzed in the FEIS
which have not yet been performed, as well as additional ground and
flight tests required for testing the ARS, TILL, BILL, SHEL, and HEL.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type of flight engagement for each
aircraft
Proposed test location Type of test --------------------------------------
Proteus Missile
MARTI Drop aircraft launch
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VAFB...................................... Flight Tests................. 0 0 25
WSMR/Holloman............................. Ground/Flight Tests.......... 50 50 35
EAFB...................................... Ground/Flight Tests.......... 50 50 0
KAFB...................................... Ground Tests................. 0 0 0
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Scoping Process
This SEIS will assess environmental issues associated with the
proposed action; reasonable alternatives including the no-action
alternative; and foreseeable future actions and cumulative effects.
Under the No Action alternative, there would be no change to ABL test
activities from those documented in the PDRR ABL ROD signed in
September 1997. Scoping will be conducted to identify environmental,
safety and occupational health issues to be addressed in the SEIS.
Public scoping meetings will be held as part of the SEIS preparation
process, as described below. Public comments will be solicited to
assist in scoping related environmental issues for analysis in the
SEIS. Alternatives to the proposed actions may be identified verbally
and in writing during the public scoping process.
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Location Date Place Time (p.m.)
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Lancaster, CA........................... 4/1/02 Antelope Valley Inn 44055 North 7:00
Sierra Highway.
[[Page 14919]]
Lompoc, CA.............................. 4/3/02 Lompoc City Council Chambers 100 7:00
Civic Center Plaza.
Albuquerque, NM......................... 4/15/02 Albuquerque Marriott 2101 7:00
Louisiana Boulevard, NE.
Las Cruces, NM.......................... 4/17/02 Holiday Inn de Las Cruces 201 E. 7:00
University Avenue.
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Dated: March 25, 2002.
Patricia L. Toppings,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liason Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 02-7628 Filed 3-26-02; 1:49 pm]
BILLING CODE 5001-08-P