The F-35 could be the first US aircraft to be outfitted with laser weapons
Laser weapons were once relegated to science fiction movies but soon they'll come of age
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Griffin, M. (2017) 'The F-35 could be the first US aircraft to be outfitted with laser weapons', 311 Institute, 24 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/the-f-35-could-be-the-first-us-aircraft-to-be-outfitted-with-laser-weapons/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A press briefing in the Netherlands earlier this week for the F-35 has restarted the rumour mill that the F-35 will be one of the first US military platforms to feature laser based weapons technology, and that, as I reported a while ago, it could happen as soon as 2020.
Along with rail guns, over the past few years the US and its allies have allocated hundreds of millions of dollars for directed energy weapon research and development, and it’s been clear for a couple of years now, especially with the emergence of new drone threats and “unstoppable” intelligent hypersonic missiles and “carrier killer” systems from the likes of China and Russia, that the USAF had the intention all along to one day strap lasers onto pretty much everything it can lay its hands on, from forward operating bases and Stryker armoured vehicles, to aircraft, drones and destroyers like the 600ft USN Zumwalt. And they aren’t alone, the UK also recently announced its interest in developing its own directed energy based defence system, similar to Phalanx, for its warships.
Last year, for example, Lockheed Martin tested out several new laser systems, and recently they used a system called ATHENA to blow several drones out of the sky, and late last year they, and General Atomics, announced that direct energy weapons were “ready for prime time”.
“We’re looking at concepts for the integration of a laser weapon onto the F-35. We’re also looking at the utility and doing models and calculations so you would understand the utility of a leaser weapon system in the F-35.”
Meanwhile General Ellen Pawlikowski, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, said recently that the USAF is continuing efforts to field directed energy weapons:
“I think we’re on the cusp of actually being able to field a true laser weapon within the next five to six years. We’ve got an activity that’s going forward, to put a laser on a fighter aircraft, not to blow up scud missiles or to win in a dogfight, but as an air defence.”
So while rumours and speculation are rife about the size and timing of these new systems one thing we know for sure is that it’s a matter of when and not if these systems emerge onto the battlefield.
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Laser weapons were once relegated to science fiction movies but soon they'll come of age
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Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 24 October 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). The F-35 could be the first US aircraft to be outfitted with laser weapons. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/the-f-35-could-be-the-first-us-aircraft-to-be-outfitted-with-laser-weapons/
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