The U.S. Air Force plans to eventually arm its fleet of drones and fighter jets with high-tech laser weapons able to incinerate enemy targets from the sky, service officials said.
The U.S. Air Force plans to eventually arm its fleet of drones and fighter jets with high-tech laser weapons able to incinerate enemy targets from the sky, service officials said.
Aircraft-launched laser weapons could be engineered for a wide range of potential uses, including air-to-air combat, close air support, counter-unmanned aerial system (or drone), counter-boat, ground attack and even missile defense -- possibly within the next decade, officials said.
Lasers use intense heat and light energy to incinerate targets without causing a large explosion -- and they operate at very high speeds, giving them a near instantaneous ability to destroy fast-moving targets and defend against incoming enemy attacks, according to Air Force Chief Scientist Dr. Greg Zacharias.
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