The US Air Force builds its first airborne laser mounted on fighter aircraft. It will be used to take out air-to-air missiles and other threats faced by US assets.

Air Force Assembles First Airborne Laser 

Laser-mounted weapons are the next wave of fighter weapons that might be able to take out hypersonic weapons. The use of conventional weapons might not be enough to tackle missiles traveling at Mach 3+ speed, but it is better than none at all.

According to the Air Force Research Laboratory, they developed these weapons, which have many technicalities to consider, especially making ways to track missiles fast and attack, report c4isrnet. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is getting ready to get one of the Laser weapon components. The testing date is set on 2024, after setbacks in the systems development.

One of the project leaders said that some aspects of the problem need to be solved. He mentioned the system should hold up in conditions wherein it should aim and shoot. Fighters are extremely fast, and the laser should survive under such conditions.

The Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) is a project to build a system that is placed on a fighter jet. Laser-armed planes will be one of the defenses to take out missiles and maybe even a hypersonic missile heading to a target at great speeds.

Its beam control is under development by Northrop Grumman; a chassis or pod to carry the weapon is courtesy of Boeing. The laser's design and built go to Lockheed Martin; all these companies are working to create a working prototype as soon as they can.

Also read: US Army Develops 'THOR' Microwave Anti-Drone Weapon Against Hostile Enemy Attacks

Sources say that a completed weapon for testing is not ready yet. In 2021, the first test was scheduled, but the delays set it back by two years. In 2023, the first actual test is canceled and scheduled for 2024. The AFRL is already beset by delays in the crucial project to defend against missiles.

Though a complete SHIELD laser has not shot yet, the technology that makes up the weapons components has been. A test has been done on an F-15 mounted with a laser test pod, while ground-based lasers were tested to shoot down air-launched missiles from 2021 to 2024.

According to Kelly Hammett, Director of AFRL Directed Energy Directorate, demonstrations of components show that it will change how aerial engagements will be. Equipped with the SHIELD to sway away missiles and enter enemy territory will be a way to decimate adversaries.

It goes to say that the SHiELD program does not agree with everyone, especially if laser pods are needed at all. Mike Griffin disagreed that shooting down missiles with lasers is a long shot.

Griffin said that he was not convinced that a large laser on a plane could really take out any missiles successfully. He argued that multiple problems make building the SHIELD impractical, especially how much power is needed to shoot a beam.

Instead of airborne lasers, there might be a more practical option to consider. He suggested that it might work on killing smaller drones. 

 Related: Top Secret Unmanned Aircraft System Built by Lockheed Martin, Is it Ready for Flight?