Unlike conventional canons that need shells, laser canons are limited only by the amount of electricity that can be generated (AFP Photo/John F. Williams)
AFP: Laser weapons edge toward use in US military
Washington (AFP) - A sci-fi staple for decades, laser weapons are finally becoming reality in the US military, albeit with capabilities a little less dramatic than at the movies.
Lightsabers -- the favored weapon of the Jedi in "Star Wars" films -- will remain in the fictional realm for now, but after decades of development, laser weapons are now here and are being deployed on military vehicles and planes.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon -- all the big defense players -- are developing prototypes for the Pentagon.
The Navy has since 2014 been testing a 30-kilowatt laser on one of its warships, the USS Ponce.
Lockheed Martin has just announced a 60-kilowatt laser weapon that soon will be installed on an Army truck for operational testing against mortars and small drones.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The U.S. military is not alone in trying to develop laser technology for military use .... China Makes Advances in Space Lasers, Microwave Weapons (Epoch Times).
More News On The U.S. Military Developing Laser Weapons
Laser weapons edge toward use in US military -- Phys.org
Missile Defense Systems Could be Made Obsolete by Small, Powerful Laser Weapons -- Sputnik
The Army's Crazy Laser Cannon Just Got Twice as Powerful -- Inverse
The US Military Will Usher in a Widespread Use of Laser Weapons in the 2020s -- Big Think
Global Military lasers see robust growth and soon will be over 1 billion in research and sales -- Next Big Future
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