Airborne Laser (ABL): Issues for Congress
Abstract
The United States has pursued a variety of missile defense concepts and programs over the past fifty years. Since the 1970s, some attention has focused on directed energy weapons, such as high-powered lasers for missile defense. Today, the Airborne Laser (ABL) program is the furthest advanced of these directed energy weapons and remains the subject of technical and program debate. The Department of Defense (DoD) has been a strong advocate for the ABL and its predecessor programs. The Defense Department and most missile defense advocates argue that the ABL, which is designed to shoot down attacking ballistic missiles within the first few minutes of their launch, is a necessary component of any future U.S. missile defense system. Although some observers have suggested additional roles for the ABL, such as attacking other airborne or even ground targets, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) maintains it is necessary to concentrate on developing the ABL's primary mission to engage and destroy attacking ballistic missiles before ancillary roles can be considered. Congress has largely supported the Administration's ABL program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 22, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA472861
Entities
People
- Christopher Bolkcom
- Steven A. Hildreth
Organizations
- Library of Congress