The Pentagon's technology chief has pumped the brakes on the Missile Defense Agency's move toward an airborne, ballistic missile-killing laser, instead consolidating "laser scaling" efforts under the umbrella of his own office. MDA is not requesting any money for its “Directed Energy Demonstrator Development” (DEDD) project this year, according to the agency’s fiscal year 2021 budget request. Congress appropriated $116 million for the DEDD project in FY-20, and the Defense Department’s budget request last year signaled similar levels of funding...