Moreover, critics of the antimissile plan say space weapons with no ability to strike earth targets could nonetheless play a pivotal role in fighting an offensive nuclear war.

The Pentagon defended its antimissile plan yesterday against a critic who contends that the proposed system of ground-based interceptors is crippled by a technical flaw.

Even American allies are nervous about the antimissile plan because it raises the specter of the United States' shrinking from their defense.

He gave some broader reasons for China's fear of the antimissile plan.

The work, which was first performed at the Syracuse Stage last summer, is a contemporary allegory set in Washington, dealing with President Reagan's antimissile plan.

The administration's initial antimissile plan was forged in negotiations with Congressional leaders as the White House sought to defuse the missile defense issue before the 1996 presidential election.

"All these companies are in trouble at the same time," said Richard Cook, a former Lockheed vice president who backs the antimissile plan.

She said the questioning was clearly aimed at shielding the $60 billion antimissile plan from scrutiny.

The disputed weapon is the centerpiece of the Bush administration's antimissile plan, which is expected to cost more than $250 billion over the next two decades.