Pentagon's Flying Raygun Zips Into Budget Battle

Posted on: Jun. 22nd, 2007 || Source: en.epochtimes.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Maryland—"Peace Through Light." That's the slogan of a Boeing Co. jumbo jet built to zap ballistic missiles shortly after they lift off, using laser rayguns.

U.S. decisionmakers were invited Thursday to inspect the bottle-nosed, silver-gray, modified 747 freighter on its first trip to the Washington area—a 24-hour lightning tour that backers hope will help restore big budget cuts.

The Airborne Laser, or ABL as the $3.8 billion program is known, has shaped up as one of the biggest losers so far as President Bush's fiscal 2008 defense spending plan is reworked by Congress.

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