Forbes

In May, before he resigned as undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, Dr. Michael Griffin, the Pentagon’s top technology expert, made news during a press conference call in which he said, “I’m extremely skeptical that we can put a large laser on an aircraft and use it to shoot down an adversary missile, even from fairly close.”

Griffin’s comments underlined what was perceived by many observers to be the reversal of a research and development thrust into directed energy (DE) within the Missile Defense Agency and the broader DoD. The 2019 Missile Defense Review, a document which Griffin helped craft, called for investments in airborne missile defense, including putting laser weapons on airborne drones.

However this spring, Griffin seemed to firmly close the door on the potential of intercepting cruise and ballistic missiles by means of laser-equipped aircraft.

“I’m just extremely skeptical of that,” Griffin said. “So we’re not spending money on [and] we’re not investing in airborne platforms for shooting down adversary missiles.”

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