6. Lasers
via wired.com
Lasers have long been the stuff of science fiction, from Flash Gordon’s ray gun to Han Solo’s blaster. But now, the U.S. Navy is making them a reality in warfare with its Laser Weapon System (LaWS.)
In December 2014, the USS Ponce conducted “operational demonstrations” of the laser, shooting down drones and sinking small attack boats. In an era of shrinking defense budgets, lasers promise to be an effective and inexpensive alternative to weapons such as the increasingly expensive hypersonic missiles.
The Air Force also has plans to use laser weapons to compliment the missiles and guns its planes already carry. The early Air Force programs tested large lasers mounted into specially fitted transport planes, but the technology has evolved sufficiently to soon allow lasers to be mounted on fighters like the F-22 or on UAVs.
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