Aviation Week reports that the Pentagon Missile Defense Agency is taking a fresh look at airborne lasers. It says:
Ten years after the demise of the Boeing 747-based chemical laser and four years after the Missile Defense Agency killed another program, the agency again is looking into the possibility of an airborne laser to protect against incoming threats.
In fiscal 2026, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) expects to spend about $11 million on the effort, following recent reductions in the size and weight of directed-energy systems along with increased power, MDA Director U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Heath Collins said.