Georgia Tech Research Institute researcher, David Roberts, holds laser target board.

Technologies for using laser energy to destroy threats at a distance have been in development for many years. Today, these technologies, known as “directed energy weapons,” are maturing to the point of becoming deployable.

High-energy lasers, one type of directed energy weapon, can be mounted on aircraft to deliver a large amount of energy to a far-away target at the speed of light, resulting in structural and incendiary damage. These lasers can be powerful enough to destroy cruise missiles, artillery projectiles, rockets, and mortar rounds.

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