From: Andrew Johnson
Date: 2007-10-11 13:38:16
Thanks to Nico Haupt for flagging this up. www.the-signal.com/?… Airborne Laser Next Phase in Homeland Security Commentary by Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon Sunday October 7, 2007 As stated in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, one of the core missions of Congress is to “promote the common defense” of America and its citizens. This task, however, has become increasingly challenging as technology advances and our borders are more quickly and easily accessed by terrorists and enemies. Some people have charged that the message of threat upon our country is just political rhetoric, but the grim fact is that ignoring real threats will not make them disappear. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, I regularly receive briefings on the state of our national security, both classified and not, and I can assure you there are active forces that wish to cause Americans harm. Winston Churchill once said that there would not be war if both sides didn’t think they could win. It is imperative that we fortify our military and maintain a technological lead over our enemies to discourage future attacks. In order to achieve maximum effectiveness against the threat from missile attacks, the Missile Defense Agency, or MDA, has developed a research and test program focusing on missile defense as a single-layered defense system that provides multiple shots at any enemy ballistic missile through its three phases of flight: boost, midcourse and terminal. As part of that layered missile defense structure, the Airborne Laser, or ABL, was created, which is MDA’s most mature system against missiles in their boost phase. Mounted on a highly modified Boeing 747, ABL’s weapon laser is a fascinating and highly advanced system that would destroy a missile before it has had a chance to deploy any defensive counter measures such as decoys or multiple warheads. MDA has requested Fiscal Year 2008 funding to bring ABL closer to its in-flight demonstration against a missile in late 2009, and I strongly believe Congress should grant the request. The benefits of this technology are great and far-reaching. The capability to engage a missile while it is in its boost phase should not be underestimated. When a missile is first launched, it is over enemy or enemy-friendly territory. The ability to destroy a missile with a chemical, biological or nuclear warhead over enemy territory is a great disincentive for a hostile enemy to launch such an attack. Additionally, while a missile is in its boost phase, it is accompanied by a large heat signature created by the rocket plume, making it relatively easy to locate and identify, and it is at its slowest, which makes it an easier target. Since ABL uses a laser, it carries additional capability not provided in other defensive systems. The Combined Oxygen Iodine Laser, or COIL, weapon laser fires at the speed of light, and the cost per shot is lower by an order of magnitude over kinetic-kill systems. ABL’s ability to engage a target with multiple shots or to identify and shoot at multiple targets gives it a great advantage as well. Further development in weapon-laser technology will have additional applications that will be beneficial to American national security in the future. A reliable weaponized laser that shoots precisely focused bullets of light traveling at 186,000 miles per second promises to be useful for other missions beyond the scope of missile defense. I am proud of the work being done in my congressional district at Edwards Air Force Base by the dedicated engineers and employees there, and I want to see that this project is funded to continue building on the successful leaps that have been made so far for national security. ABL has recently reached a major milestone in its testing by demonstrating its ability to detect, track, target and engage a moving target in flight. This program has not been cheap, and the technical challenges have been great, but the benefits that our national security will reap are well worth the investment. In fact, as a testament to the value of this project, I am pleased to report that the Senate Committee on Appropriations voted unanimously to report a bill that fully funds MDA’s request for ABL. As the House and Senate work to reach an agreement on funding levels, I will remain engaged and will work to ensure that funding will be fully restored in the final bill. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, a Republican, represents the 25th District of California in the U.S. Congress. He is a senior Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he sits on the Readiness Subcommittee and the Air and Land Forces Subcommittee. His column reflects his own opinion, not necessarily that of The Signal.Copyright:The Signal
