The US Air Force is approaching its goal of equipping aircraft with laser weapons. Test participants at the White Sands Missile Range successfully shot down several missiles fired at air targets with the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD), proving that it can handle even the toughest missions.
While SHiELD is currently an ungainly land-based behemoth, the finished technology plans to be portable and rugged enough to be used on board an aircraft.
However, do not rush things: combat flying vehicles equipped with lasers will not appear soon. The US Air Force signed a contract with Lockheed Martin only in 2017, and the first air tests will not take place until 2021. It will likely take a significant amount of time before the system can be put into operation.
Provided that the technology will work as intended, it can have a significant impact on the development of combat aviation. Laser weapons won't be offensive (at least they're not being built for that at the moment). And it is being developed in order to effectively and cheaply shoot down missiles (both air-to-air and air-to-ground), as well as drones. As long as there are no obstacles in the path of the laser, the aircraft can be virtually invulnerable to missile attacks and effectively control the sky.
Source: 3dnews.ru