The U.S. Army is set to dramatically boost the power of its laser systems, from the 5-10 kilowatt range to something more along the lines of 50-100 kWs, or a 10-fold increase.
The added power may make those systems lethal enough to kill helicopters and low-flying planes, and may also blind cruise missiles.
The Army plans to test-fire a 50 kW weapon next year; a 100 kW weapon is expected to be ready for testing in 2020.
The goal is to develop technology that reduces the size and power requirements for such systems while bolstering destructive power.
(Analyst Comment : A workable laser anti-missile system that can effectively target multiple warheads and even hypersonic missile systems — still many years off — may one day make ICBMs carrying nuclear weapons obsolete.)