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Pentagon Loses War to Zap Airborne Laser From Budget (Thank God)
WSJ ^ | 2/11/11 | Nate Hodge

Posted on 02/12/2011 3:56:34 PM PST by pissant

The Airborne Laser is the pursuit of a military Holy Grail—a workable ray gun. But there may be only one thing harder than trying to perfect it: Trying to kill it.

The futuristic weapon, conceived to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles not long after they blast off, stayed on the drawing board in the early 1990s. Then, it survived an effort to slash its funding at the end of the Clinton administration. And in 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gutted the program, telling Congress, "There's nobody in uniform that I know who believes that this is a workable concept."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: airbornelaser; dod
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If Gates doesn not effin understand how important high powered lasers are to the future of warfare, the dumb bastard needs to find a new job. Go ahead and spend a few billion to force queers into our combat ranks, but by all means cut out Edward Teller's and Ronald Reagan's most promising missile defense system.

Yet two years after being consigned to procurement purgatory, it is still flying test missions. All told, the Pentagon has spent around $5.2 billion on the project since 1996, according to the Missile Defense Agency, the Pentagon unit responsible for the program.

On Monday, the Obama administration will submit its budget request for fiscal 2012, in the midst of a protracted fight over deficits and spending. With much of federal spending tied up in health-care programs and Social Security, the Pentagon—with its $700 billion budget—has emerged as a focus for budget cutters. Mr. Gates has launched his own effort to rein in spending, and has been joined by some Republican lawmakers who argue the once-sacrosanct Pentagon budget needs a shave. House Republicans are now weighing spending cuts for the current fiscal year, which envisions a smaller increase than the administration wants.

1 posted on 02/12/2011 3:56:41 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant

Americans put a muslim in the white hut and the country is broke. Cut cut cut. Eff the defense contractors and idiots who watch TV who elected the Islamic. Cut cut cut and cut more.


2 posted on 02/12/2011 3:57:56 PM PST by Frantzie (HD TV - Total Brain-washing now in High Def. 3-D Coming soon)
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To: Frantzie

Missile defenses? No flippin way. Especially LASER


3 posted on 02/12/2011 4:01:24 PM PST by pissant ((Bachmann 2012 - Freepmail to get on/off PING list))
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To: pissant

I’m on board for Gates finding a new job either way.


4 posted on 02/12/2011 4:01:49 PM PST by MizSterious ("Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." -JFK)
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To: Frantzie

deport all illegals and cease unemployment benefit extensions. People will find work if they can’t get free money and the illegals are gone.


5 posted on 02/12/2011 4:02:01 PM PST by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: pissant
ZAP!



6 posted on 02/12/2011 4:07:36 PM PST by Eyes Unclouded ("The word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out." -George Carlin)
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To: MizSterious
"I’m on board for Gates finding a new job either way."

Dittos.

He can take Mike Mullen with him. They can tend bar together at the gay nightclub of their choice.

7 posted on 02/12/2011 4:07:47 PM PST by OldDeckHand
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To: pissant
If Gates doesn not effin understand how important high powered lasers are to the future of warfare, the dumb bastard needs to find a new job

And this was an important step to the only practical future for the defense of our Country, space based directed energy weapons. Always take the high ground.

8 posted on 02/12/2011 4:18:02 PM PST by Prokopton
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To: pissant
I can't help but recall the tremendous effort by the left to defund and remove the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) during the Reagan days. Scientists called it “Star Wars” and those who were working on the missile defense program were called crazies and worse. But it worked and we won.

Why are scientists on the wrong side of history so often?

9 posted on 02/12/2011 4:22:25 PM PST by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda" and its allies.)
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To: pissant

Lasers are important, and the Free Electron Laser, etc. are receiving more funding.

The Airborne Laser, however, is a chemically-powered mess with no realistic chance of working that should have been killed long ago.


10 posted on 02/12/2011 4:26:27 PM PST by Strategerist
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To: pissant
All told, the Pentagon has spent around $5.2 billion on the project since 1996...

Jeez, that is peanuts compared to what they have spent of far less futuristic project.

11 posted on 02/12/2011 4:29:05 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
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To: OldDeckHand
He can take Mike Mullen with him. They can tend bar together at the gay nightclub of their choice.

That faggot is the first JC Chair in U.S. history to never see a single minute of combat in his multi-decade career. Remarkable how high he could climb in the service when the only action he saw was watching porn on his office PC.

12 posted on 02/12/2011 4:34:24 PM PST by montag813
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Jeez, that is peanuts compared to what they have spent of far less futuristic project.

Bush gave $30 billion to African dictators to improve his image after Katrina, er I mean under the guise of "fighting HIV" (yeah right). He might as well have burned it on the National Mall.

13 posted on 02/12/2011 4:36:13 PM PST by montag813
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To: elpadre
Why are scientists on the wrong side of history so often?

I don't know why, but scientists tend to be leftist loonies. Therefore, they are on the wrong side of history most of the time.

It must be a genetic thing.

14 posted on 02/12/2011 4:38:30 PM PST by SteamShovel ("Does the noise in my head bother you?")
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To: Strategerist

Nonsense. It has been very, very promising.


15 posted on 02/12/2011 4:41:34 PM PST by pissant ((Bachmann 2012 - Freepmail to get on/off PING list))
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To: Strategerist

I agree that airborne chemical lasers are a pipe dream but the FEL and solid state lasers are very promising.


16 posted on 02/12/2011 4:42:36 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Islam is the religion of Satan and Mohammed was his minion.)
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To: pissant
And in 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gutted the program, telling Congress, "There's nobody in uniform that I know who believes that this is a workable concept."

Lord knows I'm less than Gates's biggest fan, but he's right about this one. Laser research yes, the Airborne Laser boondoggle no.

17 posted on 02/12/2011 4:43:24 PM PST by eclecticEel (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 7/4/1776 - 3/21/2010)
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To: eclecticEel

You have no clue what you are babbling about.


18 posted on 02/12/2011 4:45:45 PM PST by pissant ((Bachmann 2012 - Freepmail to get on/off PING list))
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To: pissant

“Missile defenses? No flippin way. Especially LASER”

Your credentials are . . . ?


19 posted on 02/12/2011 4:54:24 PM PST by oldbill
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To: pissant

“Missile defenses? No flippin way. Especially LASER”

Well, you obviously don’t have a clue what you are talking about.


20 posted on 02/12/2011 5:02:25 PM PST by Laserman
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