US Air Force to begin testing drone-zapping laser atop F-15 warplane

This summer, the US Air Force will begin testing a laser mounted on an F-15 warplane, an official said Monday. The Pentagon last year awarded a $26 million contract to Lockheed Martin for a laser program called SHiELD (Self-protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator.) The idea is to put a laser system on aircraft with an output of about 50 kilowatts to test their ability to zap drones or cruise missiles. Air Force scientists hope to have a laser that can defeat drones and missiles ready to put on an F-15 by summer 2019. 'We have got tests starting this summer and the flight tests next summer,' Jeff Stanley, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering, told reporters. 'There are still some technical challenges that we have to overcome, mainly size, weight, power.'