--- title: "Lockheed Delivers Laser Weapon for Mounting to Military Gunship" description: "Lockheed Martin delivered a laser weapon called the Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) to the Air Force, meant to be mounted to a gunship." date: "2021-10-08" modified: "2021-10-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/lockheed-laser-weapon-military-gunships" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "laser" - "laser weapons" - "lockheed martin" - "the digest" --- # Lockheed Delivers Laser Weapon for Mounting to Military Gunship ![Lockheed Martin delivered a laser weapon called the Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) to the Air Force, meant to be mounted to a gunship.]() *\Image: Air Force/Futurism\* ## Plane Laser Aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin has made a special delivery. The company just sent a laser weapon called the Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) to the Air Force, meant to be mounted to a Lockheed AC-130, a heavily armed long-endurance gunship. Rick Cordaro, vice president of Lockheed Martin Advanced Production Solutions, said in [a statement]() that the "technology is ready for fielding today." Before being attached to the gunship — a term that refers to fixed-wing aircraft with heavy armaments — the AHEL will have to go through ground testing first. It's still unclear when flight testing the 60-kilowatt HELIOS (High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) class weapon will begin, [according to *Defense Daily*](), but that phase of the project is scheduled for fiscal year 2022. ## Delays The news also comes after the United States Army [announced]() it is developing a powerful new laser weapon capable of rapidly firing metal-vaporizing pulses like a machine gun. It's a stealthy new addition for the US Air Force, allowing aircraft to strike without making so much as a sound. It could offer the military a noteworthy tactical advantage — if, that is, the system proves to be functional. **READ MORE:** [SOCOM Wants Industry Ideas On More Automation for AC-130J]() \[*Defense Daily*\] **More on laser weapons:** *[US Army Testing Machine Gun-Style Laser Weapon That Vaporizes Targets]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()