{"id":29110,"date":"2017-11-14T18:34:18","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T18:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/14\/air-force-to-begin-exploring-use-of-defensive-laser-weapons-on-kc-135s\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:03:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:03:49","slug":"air-force-to-begin-exploring-use-of-defensive-laser-weapons-on-kc-135s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2017\/11\/14\/air-force-to-begin-exploring-use-of-defensive-laser-weapons-on-kc-135s\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force to begin exploring use of defensive laser weapons on KC-135s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force has been talking about placing laser weapons on fighter jets for some time, but Air Mobility Command is also looking to the possibility of using lasers to counter surface-to-air and air-to-air missile threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gen. Carlton Everhart, head of AMC, told Air Force Times he wants to begin exploring this capability on a KC-135 refueling tanker starting next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four-star has talked about the idea of employing lasers before, but now he\u2019s taking steps to get a KC-135 to the Air Force Research Laboratory by the summer of 2018 to start testing the concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio would get six months to a year to experiment with the aircraft to see what is possible and what questions would need to be answered, said AMC spokesman Col. Chris Karns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe expectation is to have this capability available to our war fighters within two years,\u201d Everhart said. \u201cIt\u2019s time to move out and show we\u2019re serious about this to our airmen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t