Boeing officials say the Airborne Laser team just completed tests that show the “lasing duration and power” of the high energy laser functions at levels “suitable for the destruction of multiple classes of ballistic missiles.” That should serve the program well should the Pentagon decide to move it forward from its post-QDR status as a technology demonstrator.
The Air Force budget would grow to $234 billion while Space Force spending would shrink to $26 billion under the White House's yearly ask.