The Pentagon plans to spend $50 billion over the next five years to
develop and field a multi-layered defense against incoming warheads,
which could deliver nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

The General Accounting Office, Congress's audit and investigative arm,
said in an Aug. 20 report that the Missile Defense Agency has
"accepted higher cost and schedule risks by beginning integration of
the (ground-based) element's components before these technologies have
matured."


From Reuters, 10/10/03:
http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/newswire/2003/10/10/rtr1106192.html

Northrop sees possible big US missile-shield deals

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

Potential U.S. missile-shield contracts could bring "very significant"
revenues in coming years for Northrop Grumman Corp., chief executive
Ronald Sugar said on Friday.

He cited a Pentagon competition to build an anti-missile rocket called
a kinetic energy interceptor, as well as targets and countermeasures
work plus unspecified other tasks.

These could be multibillion-dollar programs "that could result in a
very significant stream of annual revenue to this company," Sugar told
a forum at the American Enterprise Institute, a private research
group.

_________________________________________________________

Now you wouldn't wanna deprive Northrop of its multi-billions for
making a lot of failed *****, would ya? Of course you wouldn't. What
else are we gonna do that extra taxpayer money, eh? It's just sittin'
out there doin' nuthin' anyway.

Harry