Next month, the air force will introduce a new, more advanced aerial refueling tanker, the kc-46a, that will fuel U.S. fighter jets and bombers to stay in the air longer and fly farther. In addition, the air force plans to equip the kc-46a pegasus tanker with laser weapons.
Todd harrison, director of the aerospace safety program at the center for strategic and international studies, says the aircraft’s engines can generate a lot of power, and the idea of using lasers to defend the kc-46 tanker is possible.
In combat operations, the additional defense would allow the tankers to better “support fighters and bombers,” which he called “purely defensive weapons,” and lasers could be used to blind sensors on another plane or incoming missile.
“Or, if it’s a high enough power laser pointer, it could actually be used to burn a hole to weaken the skin of an incoming missile or aircraft,” he added.
One major advantage of defense lasers is that they do not run out of ammunition, an important feature of space-constrained aircraft. As long as they have power, they can keep shooting. Once testing begins, it could take years for the defense lasers to be fully operational.