MDA plans reboot of ABL

Missile Defense Agency director, Vice Adm. James Syring, said his agency is looking into arming a UAV with a low power laser to test the feasibility of using drone to shoot down ballistic missiles in the boost phase.

By US Missile Defense Agency [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Syring told attendees at the Space & Missile Defense conference that the new approach will be different from the previous Airborne Laser program.
“It is a very different approach than we did in the past of just leaping to something and investing everything we had.”
Analysts however sound a caution tone. To have a working laser that fires off one-megawatt of energy will require substantial improvements to generate that kind of power with the least weight.

Source: MDA plans reboot of ABL