1 / 12 Put 1000 Lasers 'In The Sky'

Discussing missile defense at an event sponsored by the League of American Voters, Raese <a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/13/5284516-raese-missile-defense-and-lasers-in-the-sky-?ocid=twitter" target="_hplink">explained</a> that the best solution to deal with "a rogue missile aimed at our country" would be to implement "laser technology." "We need 1000 laser systems put in the sky and we need it right now," Raese said. "That is [of] paramount importance." He said it would cost around $20 billion. MSNBC <a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/13/5284516-raese-missile-defense-and-lasers-in-the-sky-?ocid=twitter" target="_hplink">reported</a> on the viability of this option: Riki Ellison, the chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said that Raese appeared to be referring to DPALs (diode pumped alkali lasers), which have shown great promise in the field of missile defense but - at least at current funding levels for the development of such programs - could take two decades to develop. He said that the development of DPAL technology would be accelerated by Raese's proposed budget infusion (the Obama administration recently reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency). But, he added, deploying that technology in space would require the negotiation of a treaty among world powers.