The US Air Force successfully tested a laser system to shoot down missiles

The US Air Force announced that it has successfully used a laser weapons system to shoot down multiple missiles while in flight. The system is designed to eventually be mounted on aircraft to be used to protect the vehicle from attacks.

The Air Force Research Laboratory conducted the test at the US Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in April. The system, called the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD), was used from the ground, and was used to shoot down “multiple air launched missiles in flight.” Air Force Research Laboratory commander Major General William Cooley says that the test is a “big step ahead for directed energy systems and protection against adversarial threats.”