Laser weapons are coming: US military leadership gathered in Orlando this week for the annual congress AirWarfare. The Military meets at this conference to discuss their plans for weapons that can cause great destruction. According to a publication, the largest unfunded project that the US Special Operations Command hopes to pass is a C-130 that will be equipped with a very powerful laser weapon.
Lieutenant Brad Webb, the chief of the Air Force Special Operations Command, is one of those who are very optimistic about the project.
"Υπάρχουν πολλοί προμηθευτές που πραγματικά συμβάλλουν στο να συνεχίσουμε να προωθούμε την technology μαζί" αναφέρει.
In 2015, Lt. Gen. Brad Heithold, who was then the head of the Air Force's Special Operations Command, told the Breaking Defense that he believes that "μπορούμε να βάλουμε υψηλής ενέργειας laser (επιθετικά και αμυντικά) σε AC-130 πριν από το κλείσιμο της αυτής της δεκαετίας."
Webb reports that the program for airborne lasers already tested a defensive laser on the front of a 747 jetliner in 2012.
Since then, according to Webb, things have changed and as the technology has improved, and the project could become a reality soon.
These weapons have been tested by Boeing and are capable of drilling holes in trucks. 
As long as there is already permission to use the Laser Weapon System as the original defensive weapon, the plan is to use C-130 airplanes as an anti-ballistic weapon for missile defense that could take countermeasures in the event of an attack.
Ο Webb αναγνώρισε επίσης ότι "Σε κάποιο σημείο θα πρέπει να υπάρχει μια πολιτική συζήτηση για το πού και πώς θα μπορούμε να χρησιμοποιήσουμε αυτά τα συγκεκριμένα όπλα.
But with the new Trump government and the White House asking for an increase in the defense budget at 54 billion dollars, it is very likely that the project will find the funding it needs very soon.
