Defense Secretary Robert Gates' call to cut back on missile defense programs is running into resistance from lawmakers and others who say the U.S. will be left vulnerable in the face of North Korea and Iran's advancing efforts to develop long-range rockets.
Gates called for $1.4 billion in cuts to missile defense as part of a budget plan he says will "reshape the priorities" of the Pentagon and "rebalance this department's programs in order to institutionalize and finance our capabilities to fight the wars we are in today and the scenarios we are most likely to face in the years ahead."
Among the proposed cuts would come the end of the "multiple kill vehicle" program -- a hovering machine meant to shoot down enemy missiles, even from space.
Other high-tech missile defense programs would also be scaled back. The second prototype aircraft of the Airborne Laser -- a Boeing 747-mounted laser meant to intercept missiles near their launch areas -- would be terminated and the design efforts to date turned into research and development.
Gates said he also would cancel plans to increase the number of ground-based interceptors in Alaska, a move opposed by Alaska's top officials, among others.
"I can't emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect the global missile defense network. Alaska's strategic location and the system in place here have proven invaluable in defending the nation," Gov. Sarah Palin said in a statement, adding that North Korea's rocket program could threaten Alaska. - FOX News Story
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