By W.J. Hennigan – Work has ended on a futuristic airborne missile defense system built mostly in Southern California after more than 15 years of development and $5 billion in federal funding.
In what was once considered the stuff of science fiction, the airborne laser program involved a Boeing 747 jumbo jet equipped with an advanced tracking system and a massive laser gun on its nose to identify and obliterate enemy missiles as they blast off.
The Pentagon‘s Missile Defense Agency, which oversaw the airborne laser program, had asked Congress for more funding for this year but didn’t receive enough to keep the program going. [VIDEO 00:25] more> http://is.gd/eYSeUj
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