US to test laser weapons on F-15 fighter jets

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering Jeff Stanley said on March 19 that Washington will begin testing laser weapons mounted on F-15 fighter jets this summer, according toAFP.However, kThe US Air Force still needs to overcome a number of technical obstacles in terms of size, weight and power in deploying this weapon line.

The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $26 million contract late last year to develop a SHiELD laser weapons program. The idea is to mount a 50-kilowatt laser system on a fighter jet to test its ability to destroy drones or cruise missiles.

In late 2016, the US Air Force also signed a $7 billion contract with Stallar Science to build a laser weapons simulation program to equip the advanced F-22 and F-35 fighters by 2021.

The Pentagon hopes that the power of future airborne laser weapons can be increased to 100-150 kilowatts.

Aircraft-mounted laser cannons could be developed for missions such as air-to-air, ground support, anti-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), destroying surface targets, and even anti-ballistic missile defense.

Lasers generate enormous amounts of energy in the form of heat and light to burn targets without causing an explosion. Laser beams can destroy targets almost instantly at a very low cost, helping the military limit the use of expensive weapons such as cruise missiles in many missions.