Air Force to Fire Lasers from Fighter Jets

By Kris Osborn

Service Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said recently at the Air Force Association conference.

While Welsh did not specify a time frame for this development, he did point to specific plans to fire lasers from fighter jets while highlighting directed energy as a key element of the Air Force’s future weapons development.

Aircraft-launched laser weapons could eventually be engineered for a wide range of potential uses, including air-to-air combat, close air support, counter-UAS, counter-boat, ground attack and even missile defense, officials said.

Air Force Research Laboratory officials have said they plan to have a program of record for air-fired laser weapons in place by 2023.

Ground testing of a laser weapon called the High Energy Laser, or HEL, is slated to take place this year at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., service officials said.

The High Energy Laser test is being conducted by the Air Force Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

The first airborne tests are expected to take place by 2021, Air Force officials have said.