Military May Lose Laser Capability In Killing Enemy Missiles; Industrial Base Is Threatened By Budget Moves

Legislators Write Letter To Gates

A bipartisan group of legislators told Secretary of Defense Robert Gates they are dismayed that the Airborne Laser (ABL) program faces drastic funding reductions, or the program may be killed outright.

"The ABL program is critical in maintaining America’s technological edge and national security capabilities to destroy ballistic missiles," the lawmakers wrote.

Losing the ABL program would mean not only losing a system to protect the United States from incoming enemy ballistic missiles, it also would mean a loss of a huge investment in cutting-edge laser technology. (Other missile defense systems deploy interceptor missiles. Please see full story in this issue.)

The lawmakers not only signed the letter, each one added which key committee he sits on that oversees the Department of Defense. They are Reps. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kans.) on the House Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee (HAC-D), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), also on HAC-D, Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and its strategic forces subcommittee, Martin Heirich (D-N.M.), HASC, Todd Akin (R-Mo.), HASC, Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), HASC, and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), a member of the Republican leadership.

They cited multiple reasons why the Airborne Laser deserves to receive full funding. For example, the threat of enemy ballistic missiles proliferating across the globe steadily worsens. And the ABL is creating a very advanced new technology that will disappear if the program is destroyed by underfunding or elimination.

This is the letter:

"We are greatly concerned by reports that the Airborne Laser (ABL) program is facing severe budget cuts or even termination in the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget proposal. The ABL is America’s premier directed energy effort and represents not only a tremendous potential for our nation’s warfighters, but also for maintaining America’s technological edge. It is critical to the future of our national security capabilities. For these reasons, we urgently request the ABL remain a robustly funded program.

"According to the Missile Defense Agency, the ABL provides a unique capability ‘to detect, track, target, and destroy ballistic missiles shortly after launch during the boost- phase. Its revolutionary use of directed energy makes it unique among the United States’ airborne weapon systems, with a potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light with a range of hundreds of kilometers.’

"Our military warfighters agree that the ABL is essential for addressing many of the challenges facing our nation. General B.B. Bell, the former Commander of the United States Forces Korea, wrote in 2007, ‘…from a warfighter’s perspective, the ABL will be an important ingredient in our much needed and required layered missile defense capability for the Korean Peninsula.’ This is a legitimate capability our nation needs.

"As you know, the Airborne Laser began during the Clinton administration in the face of an increasing ballistic missile threat. Since that time, the proliferation of ballistic missiles has only grown. Today, outside of Russia, China and our Western allies, there are 3,000 ballistic missiles around the world. That number is continuing to grow every year. As threats proliferate around the globe, the relevance and importance of the ABL as the nation’s only fully designed boost-phase missile defense system will continue to increase.

"The ABL is performing well and is scheduled to shoot down a boosting ballistic missile by the end of the year. Should the ABL be severely under-funded or canceled, the promise of speed-of-light and extreme precision in the hands of the warfighter will disappear, as will the fragile industrial base that supports it. In short, we will have wasted the resources that have been well invested since the Clinton administration.

"Again, we respectfully request your support for the Airborne Laser program."