US Air Force will be the first to use combat lasers from sky, they are planning to have the first weapons in larger platforms like C-70 and C-130s. Later the technology will be enhanced till the weapon can be attached to a small fighter jet like F-15, F-16 and F-35s.
According to the Air Force officials first airborne test will be carried out in 2021. And the main focus on developing a technology to increase the power from 10KW to 100 KW, from the existing laser weapons.
Enhancing the weapon to be smaller, and a good mobile power source to be included in a fast moving fighter jet will be a challenge. Compared to flying with a less number of missiles, if this effort get succeeded it will be a huge leap forward to the future for the fighter jet industry.
