US Air Force will ground demo a 50-120kw laser for a gunship in 2018 then airborne in 2020

The US Air force Special ops command will ground demo a combat laser intended for a AC130 gunship in 2018 and then go airborne with shooting the laser a couple of years after that.

Webb’s predecessor, then-Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold, revealed the “moon shot” laser program in 2015 and pushed for a 60-kW or 120-kW high-powered laser for an initial demonstration — depending on technology readiness — for disabling stationary vehicles, aircraft and fixed communications nodes such as cellphone towers.