Defense Stuff We Don't Need, According to Obama

Neat trick.

A U.S. high-powered airborne laser weapon shot down a ballistic missile in the first successful test of a futuristic directed energy weapon, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said on Friday.

...“The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile” the agency said.

That was a liquid-fueled missile target. The same system demolished a solid-fueled rocket in February.

According to Obama, we don't really need these planes:

Cancel second Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft, keep the one remaining ABL prototype as a testbed and revert to pure R&D. (4/09)

After all, who would shoot a missile at the US?

HT: Gateway