The Army is another step closer to a directed energy battlefield weapon after decades of work, as for the first time, a vehicle-mounted solid state laser was used to successfully engage mortar rounds and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in flight during recent testing at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Battlefield lasers would provide the Army a speed-of-light and precise target destruction, with a small logistics and manpower footprint. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC)/Army Forces Strategic Command (ARSTRAT) started…
