ABL in serious trouble

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA)’s Airborne Laser (ABL)
program, which has undergone serious developmental delays 
and seen its costs spiral upwards, may be at the breaking 
point and either be canceled or shelved.  Former MDA head 
Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish, who stepped down on July 2, said of 
ABL that “we haven’t been able to invent this on schedule."  
He notes with frustration that of cost, performance and schedule,
 “[W]e were able to keep only one of the three things under control.  
What happened is we tried very hard to keep the performance as
 good as we can make it, but we were unable to control the other
 two variables because of the unexpected difficulties in matching 
the laser plants with the optics.”  While Kadish says that 
MDA is “not in any way, shape or form ready to give up on 
the ABL,” the agency may have to radically revamp it or redo some 
of the lab work.  ABL is already on a short leash, 
with the program office required to give weekly reports to
 MDA of what Kadish calls “inchstones, not milestones.” 
 MDA has asked for $4 billion for ABL between FY 2005 and 2009.  
The House Appropriations Committee recommended that the $74 million 
in the FY 05 budget request be rescinded, due to recent restructuring,
 but this must be pounded out in conference since the Senate 
Appropriations Committee recommended an additional $5 million
 for more international participation.
(Defense News, July 12, 2004)