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.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
