The defense spending bill advancing through Congress would add $163 million to the Missile Defense Agency's directed-energy development programs, including an increase meant to keep three contractors working on an airborne laser program through next year. The Senate Appropriations Committee's fiscal year 2019 defense spending legislation would add $78 million for MDA's low-power laser demonstrator (LPLD) project and $85 million for "three separate laser scaling efforts with the goal of demonstrating a 500 kilowatt laser by 2021, and a best...
