The United States may install laser weapons on fighter jets.

The Pentagon has signed a contract with US company Lockheed Martin to develop laser weapons for US F-15 fighter jets by 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The US may install laser weapons on fighter jets. WEAPONS

According to the article, under the $26 million contract, the company is to supply weapons for fighter jets, capable of shooting down missiles and drones from a distance of 1,609 km.

At the same time, the US Department of Defense plans to receive laser weapons with a capacity of about 50 kilowatts, five times larger than the largest industrial laser today.

The Pentagon hopes that in the future the power of lasers on fighter jets can increase to 100-150 kilowatts.

The US military has previously conducted tests of laser weapons mounted on warships or road vehicles, but installing them on fighter jets would be a breakthrough in defense capabilities.

In addition, this technology is also significantly more economical than multi-warhead missiles.

According to Sputnik