The U.S. Air Force has announced that by 2020, its fighter planes will be equipped with laser weapons and will possibly be complemented by a force field protection bubble.
"It really is a national tipping point," Kelly Hammett, chief engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) directed energy directorate, told CNN. "We see the technology evolving and maturing to the stage where it really can be used."
The advanced fighter jet weapon system, which almost resembles "Star Trek" technology, has been previously viable in larger aircrafts. There was, however, the challenge of mounting it in small planes such as fighter jets. In addition to the laser's power requirement footprint, there are gravity and vibration concerns for jets flying at supersonic speeds. These problems must have been addressed, as the AFRL has revealed that it has completed initial trials, which demonstrated the weapon system with its unprecedented power, the Daily Mail reported.
Aside from its power, the benefits of the laser weapon system include the ability to continuously fire, unlike conventional weapons, which need constant reloading of magazines or ammunitions. The laser can shot bursts of energy as long as there is power or fuel available. The laser system, dubbed as the High-Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), is reportedly being built by General Atomics.
The defensive shield system, on the other hand, works through a 360-degree laser shield that completely encloses the aircraft. Its function is to disable or destroy anything that comes inside, the Daily Mail reported.
Both the laser weapon system and force field defensive shield are part of what the Air Force called the "Fifth-Generation Warfare," according to Ars Technica. Some of these are already deployed, such as the laser weapon aboard the USS Ponce.
