Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has canceled its airborne laser
program, which aroused major interest in the Middle East for its ability to intercept intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

The administration of President Barack Obama has decided to terminate
the ABL program, meant to develop a Boeing 747-400F passenger aircraft
fitted with a chemical oxygen iodine laser in the nose of the platform.

ABL, led by prime contractor Boeing, was canceled in December in
wake of two successful interceptions in 2010. But a combination of competing
technologies as well as sharp budget cuts led to the end of the program.

Washington spent more than $5 billion over the 16 years of the program and officials
determined that a lighter and unmanned platform with a higher-density laser
could be developed.

“[We are] within a few years of having a prototype that will actually operate out
of an unattended air vehicle at very high altitudes,” Missile Defense Agency director Patrick O’Reilly said.

We have that capability to achieve something with a very high-altitude UAV over
this decade.”

The Middle East was said to have closely monitored ABL. Israel sought to
become a partner in a scaled-down version of the program while Iran
monitored the prospect that an airborne laser could intercept its medium-
and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

Officials said ABL would be superseded by the development of solid-state
lasers, meant to be smaller and more powerful than their chemical
counterparts. They said MDA and Boeing would be discussing the prospect of
retaining up to 20 engineers and scientists involved in the program.

“We basically have a horse race going on between several different
technologies,” O’Reilly said. “All of them are very promising.”

  airborne laser program, Barack Obama, Boeing, Missile Defense Agency, Obama military budget cuts claim airborne laser program, Patrick O’Reilly