The latest missile defense update by Congressional Research Service analysts calls the development and deployment of missile defense both “elusive” and “divisive.” Among topics highlighted in the report: how the Bush Administration “sharply altered” the debate; why the Administration asserts the US deterrence theory is passé; why critics maintain the technology remains immature, and the whole thing is a “budget-buster.”
The Air Force is leaning toward a less-sophisticated autonomous aircraft in the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the services chief futurist said. He also suggested that the next increment of CCA may be air-launched, a la the "Rapid Dragon" experiments conducted by the service in recent years.