Airborne laser shoots down missile in test, Pentagon says Stars and Stripes: "A flying Boeing 747 jumbo jet equipped with a massive laser gun shot down a Scud-like missile over the Pacific late Thursday night, marking what analysts said was a major milestone in the development of the nation's missile defense system.
The test shoot-down at 8:44 p.m. PST over a military test range near Point Mugu is expected to renew debate over spending billions of dollars for a system that seemed so far behind schedule that the Pentagon decided to significantly curtail its budget last year. The test, which the Pentagon described as a success, could be a major boon to Southern California, where much of the high-tech system has been developed and tested.
'Proving this technology is game-changing,' said Loren Thompson, a military policy analyst for the Lexington Institute, a think tank in Arlington, Va. 'The program's funding has been hanging on by a thread. A successful shoot-down of a ballistic missile will demonstrate to Capitol Hill that the airborne laser has potential.'"
