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CONGRESSMAN LIEU RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREA’S MISSILE LAUNCH

February 13, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued the following statement in response to yesterday's missile launch by North Korea.

"North Korea's launch of yet another ballistic missile poses unacceptable risks to U.S. allies. At some point in the future, North Korea will develop an ICBM that can land on U.S. soil. We can Tweet about the North Korean missile threat or we can take concrete action to defend our nation. We need to invest in countermeasures to this pervasive threat by increasing missile defense funding and allocating more resources to developing platforms that can counter North Korea's eventual ability to strike the United States."

"Having served on active duty at the Space and Missile Systems Center--which was involved with the Airborne Laser program -- I am well aware of the ability of lasers to destroy missiles. The original Airborne Laser, which was a chemical laser mounted on a modified 747, shot down missiles during testing. Funding for the program was terminated in 2010 because the range of the laser was deemed insufficient to meet critical mission needs. However, advancements in laser technology since 2010 have produced solid-state lasers with increased strength and reduced cost and size. The Pentagon is already working on mounting lasers on drones, naval vessels and ground platforms. Congress should explore investing more in this game-changing technology so that it can be deployed against the future threats we know are coming."

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