Free Republic

Pentagon's flying raygun zips into budget battle By Jim Wolf Thu Jun 21, 4:41 PM ET "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...