The age of laser offensive and defensive weaponry got a boost from one of the principal military contractors to the U.S Department of Defense, Boeing Company, that has reportedly tested an all new surface to air laser defense system and shot down six unmanned drones, paving the way for a possible successful implementation of laser based weapons into the front line military units of the U.S armed forces.

Laser weapons, especially in the role of land based air defense systems have long been visualized as the most optimum weapon systems, as they would significantly reduce the threat of the personnel manning the conventional surface to air missile batteries. However, such sophisticated and at times completely autonomous laser weapon systems had so far been a matter of science fiction.

The latest tests undertaken by Boeing involved elements of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, California, that took extensive part in testing the reliability and feasibility options for the new weapon system. The purpose of the test, according to Boeing was to establish the capability of such defensive laser weapons in detection and destruction of aerial threats.

The mobile laser weapon developed by Boeing is called, Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated Experiments or MATRIX and was developed under the contract from the U.S Air Force Research Laboratory. The MATRIX is basically a trailer mounted laser defense system and employs a high powered targeted laser beam at the target, to to blow it out of the sky.

According to Gary Fitzmire (V.P, Boeing Missile Defense Systems’ Directed Energy Systems),

“The Air Force and Boeing achieved a directed-energy breakthrough with these tests. MATRIX’s performance is especially noteworthy because it demonstrated unprecedented, ultra-precise and lethal acquisition, pointing and tracking at long ranges using relatively low laser power.”

Via Space War.