B-52 set for 'Star Wars' weapons upgrade: Veteran bomber could get laser pods to shoot incoming missiles out of the sky

The US Air Force is developing defensive laser weapons for B-52 bomber
The lasers could defend the jet by incinerating air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles
System could also jam the navigation system of approaching weapons

Published: 18:46 EST, 10 February 2017 | Updated: 19:50 EST, 10 February 2017

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It is one of the Air Force's longest serving bombers, having been in service since 1952.

Yet the B-52 bomber could soon get a radical overhaul, making it one of America's first military planes to have a laser weapon system.

Air Force bosses are experimenting with fitting external laser pods to the giant plane, allowing it to blast incoming missiles out of the sky or jam their navigation systems.

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The Boeing-manufactured bomber (pictured) has been in use since 1952 and is expected to remain operating until 2040, when it'll be replaced by the Northrop Grumman's B-21. Air Force bosses are experimenting with fitting external laser pods to the giant plane, allowing it to blast incoming missiles out of the sky or jam their navigation systems.

LASER WEAPONS 'COMING SOON'

Air Force bosses have boasted combat lasers will be fitted to fighters planes 'very soon' and have revealed a full scale prototype is being built.

'I believe we'll have a directed energy pod we can put on a fighter plane very soon,' Air Force General Hawk Carlisle claimed at the Air Force Association Air & Space conference last year in a presentation on what he called Fifth-Generation Warfare, according to Ars Technica.

'That day is a lot closer than I think a lot of people think it is.'

The project is part of the Air Force Research Lab's five-year plan to create power, optics and lasers to help defend large bombers such as the B-52.

Air Force Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias told Scout Warrior: 'You can take out the target if you put the laser on the attacking weapon for a long enough period of time.'

The researchers say the older, larger plane cold be perfect for laser weapons, and attaching an external pod would not affect its capabilities.

Zacharias said the laser system would not be expected to work on stealthy aircraft such as F-15's or F-35's.

Lasers use extreme heat and light to burn targets without creating a large explosion.

They work at very high speeds so they have an almost instant ability to destroy rapid targets and defend against enemies.

Zacharias also said that if for some reason a pilot doesn't want to destroy an incoming missile but throw it off course, lasers could jam them.

Lasers use extreme heat and light to burn targets without creating a large explosion. They work at very high speeds so they have an almost instant ability to destroy rapid targets and defend against enemies. The lasers could even be synchronized with telescopes to make them more precise for tracking and destroying attackers

The lasers can be synchronized with telescopes to make them more precise for tracking and destroying attackers.

Aircraft lasers for fighter jets such as the B-52 could eventually be applied to a wide range of uses such as air-to-air combat, air support, counter-drone, counter-boat and ground attacks.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has said that they aim to have a plan in place for a laser weapon program by 2023.

Aircraft lasers for fighter jets such as the B-52 could eventually be applied to a wide range of uses such as air-to-air combat, air support, counter-drone, counter-boat and ground attacks. The Air Force Research Laboratory has said that they aim to have a plan in place for a laser weapon program by 2023

Ground level testing for a weapon called the High Energy Laser has been taking place for the last few years at White Sand Missile Range in New Mexico, with the first airborne tests set to take place by 2021.

Air Force leaders told Scout Warrior that they plan to also integrate the lasers in large platforms such as C-17s and C-130s, and eventually on smaller jets such as the F-15.

But these laser weapons may not stick solely to aircraft platforms.

The US Navy has plans to incorporate these lasers on US naval ships to help defend ships from drones and missiles.

The lasers could also play a crucial role in defending against ballistic missiles.

According to Air Force experts, one of the clearest advantages of this laser technology is that instead of carrying a limited number of missiles on an aircraft, an energy based weapon such as a laser could fire thousand of shots using one gallon of jet fuel.