Will the Pentagon test new laser weapons on fighter jets?

New laser weapons used on fighter jets can begin to be tested in 2014.

>>> US first tests laser weapons from aircraft

The 150 kilowatts laser represents the new weaponry of the US military, which has the advantage of being smaller and lighter than current laser sources, according to Fox, which leads information from the United States Advanced Defense Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Simulate the prospect of deploying laser weapons on fighters - (Photo: DARPA)

The Pentagon's agency has issued a special directive to contractors General Atomics - Aeronautical Systems Incorporated, which requires the creation of a second laser weapon for both Air Force and Navy.

These laser lines are part of the High-Pressure Liquid Laser System. DARPA's regional defense, designed to shoot down rockets, surface-to-air missiles or other weapons, can threaten aircraft.

In addition, the laser can also act as a weapon against a number of targets on the ground.

Past experiments have been conducted on bulky laser weapons, such as the megawatt laser beam test set on the Boeing 747.

However, with the smaller version at 150 kilowatts, this weapon can easily be deployed on fighters or reconnaissance aircraft.