ABL Zapped?: The Administration budget axe may have a new target—the Airborne Laser. White House officials tell Reuters news service that the ABL is a “high-risk” program, making its continuation dicey as the Pentagon searches for programs to cut. As we reported earlier (see “Not Downbeat, Just Realistic”), ABL has had its share of technological difficulties. Still, USAF and the Missile Defense Agency, which oversees the program, expected it to succeed, just on a slower schedule.
U.S. Puts 8,500 Troops on Alert for Europe Deployment
Jan. 24, 2022
The U.S. military told 8,500 troops in the continental U.S. to prepare to deploy to Europe for a potential Ukraine contingency within five days, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby announced Jan. 24. These troops would be the U.S. contribution to a 40,000-member NATO Response Force being organized in response…