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Raese, missile defense, and 'lasers in the sky'
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| Parent(s) |
Race
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| Contributor | RP |
| Last Edited | RP Oct 13, 2010 04:51pm |
| Logged |
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| Category | General |
| Author | Shawna Thomas and Carrie Dann |
| News Date | Wednesday, October 13, 2010 07:45:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | "If there is a rogue missile aimed at our country, we have 33 minutes to figure out what we're going to do," Raese said at an event sponsored by the League of American Voters. "We are sitting with the only technology in the world that works and it's laser technology. We need 1000 laser systems put in the sky and we need it right now. That is [of] paramount importance."
Raese said the system would cost $20 billion.
Laser-based technology has been long discussed as a promising method for deterring missiles, but experts say that components of a system like the one Raese described are in the infant stages of research and development and would require the negotiation of staggeringly complex international treaties.
Riki Ellison, the chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said that Raese appeared to be referring to DPALs (diode pumped alkali lasers), which have shown great promise in the field of missile defense but - at least at current funding levels for the development of such programs - could take two decades to develop. He said that the development of DPAL technology would be accelerated by Raese's proposed budget infusion (the Obama administration recently reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency). But, he added, deploying that technology in space would require the negotiation of a treaty among world powers. |
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