The Air Force Is Giving Up on Airborne Laser Weapons (For Now)

The service's airborne laser ambitions have hit turbulence.

Jul 21, 2025

∙ Paid

*An artist's rendering of the Self-Protect High-Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) mounted on a fighter jet. (Lockheed Martin)*

The US Air Force is halting its push to develop an airborne high-energy laser weapon to defend aircraft against incoming drones and missiles, according to newly released budget documents.

For the second year in a row, the Air Force…

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