Pentagon Demotes Airborne Laser Program

Posted on: Feb. 16th, 2006 || Source: military.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Pentagon Demotes Airborne Laser Program

The multibillion-dollar Airborne Laser program, considered the Pentagon's best chance to develop a weapon to defeat ballistic missiles in their early, boost phase of flight, is being relegated to a technology demonstration status while a planned five-aircraft purchase by the Air Force is put on hold due to questions surrounding ABL's future, a senior Defense Department official said Feb. 6.

ABL officials now are solely focused on attempting to shoot down a target missile during a test the Missile Defense Agency has scheduled for late calendar year 2008. The agency has deferred the purchase of a second aircraft and the engineering studies needed for it until after the shoot-down test, the official told reporters the day the Defense Department unveiled its fiscal year 2007 budget. MDA and lead contractor Boeing continue to develop the first prototype 747-400 aircraft that will be used in the 2008 test.

The official called ABL “a different program now” and said it is considered a demonstration project “until shoot-down, then it will be serious time.”

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