USAF Cancels Laser Weapon Plan for Ghostrider Gunship

Defense News ,U.S:-  The United States Air Force (USAF) has decided not to put a powerful laser weapon on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship, a decision that has been a bit of a problem.

A person from the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) told Military.com that the Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) didn't work well during a recent test outside.

Because of these problems, the weapon couldn't be tested while flying, which means the plan to use it on the Ghostrider is over for now.

The person didn't say exactly what went wrong, but they did say that the laser did work okay at high power, from start to finish.

Also, the money needed for the laser weapon in the Defense Department’s budget for 2025 wasn't there, because they thought the program would end this year anyway.

What's Next for AHEL

The AFSOC person explained that they're not stopping the AHEL program entirely. They just need to think about what to do next with it.

They said they'll keep testing the laser on the ground to make it more reliable. Eventually, they might give it to someone else to use.

This could mean that they'll put the laser on a different kind of weapon, like a fighter jet, to protect against enemy attacks.

A Bumpy Ride

In 2021, Lockheed Martin gave the USAF a 60-watt AHEL weapon to use on the AC-130J plane to fight against enemies.

This was supposed to be the first time the military used a laser weapon like this.

But in November 2023, AFSOC said they couldn't use the weapon yet because the tests weren't done on time.

They didn't say why, but people guessed that putting the weapon on the plane was harder than they thought.