U.S. Could Kill Antimissile Laser Project

The United States could end an effort to develop a laser designed to shoot down ballistic missiles from a Boeing 747, Reuters reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 5).

The White House budget office, in its review of the draft Defense Department budget for fiscal 2007, designated the Airborne Laser program a “high-risk” project that could be eliminated in an effort to cut costs.

Development of the Airborne Laser is expected to cost slightly more than $5.1 billion through 2009. The Bush administration has not made its final decision on the fate of the project, one official told Reuters.

“Ideas are frequently exchanged with agencies for ways to meet tough budget targets with the final decision left to the agency,” the official said.

The Missile Defense Agency budget for fiscal 2007 “is still being prepared and [is] thus not finalized,” said spokesman Richard Lehner.

Also possibly on the chopping block in fiscal 2007 is the Space Tracking and Surveillance System missile defense sensor network, Reuters reported (Jim Wolf, Reuters, Nov. 30).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.