U.S. Air Force Successfully Tests Laser System That Shoots Down Missiles

It’s no secret that the U.S. military has been looking into laser technology as it continues to advance its arsenal of weapons. The United States Air Force has now announced that it has conducted a successful test of a laser weapons system which is capable of shooting down multiple missiles in flight. This system has been designed to eventually be mounted on aircraft so that it can be used to protect the fighter jets from attacks.

The test was conducted at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico by the Air Force Research Laboratory. It’s called the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) and it was tested from the ground.

The test was successful as the system shot down “multiple air launched missiles in flight.” It has been billed as a “big step ahead for directed energy systems and protection against adversarial threats,” said Air Force Research Laboratory commander Major General William Cooley.

The SHiELD system will eventually be mounted on jets so that it can shoot down surface-to-air or air-to-air launched missiles. It may prove to be a powerful defense weapon for the air force’s fighter jets.

The benefits are greater compared to conventional countermeasures. For starters, the lasers won’t have a limited magazine and pilots will be able to re-aim to hit additional targets quite quickly. However, there’s no saying precisely when this system will be deployed on aircraft.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Military
Tags: air force, lasers, Social Hit