Boeing announced May 19 that it has begun firing the advanced tactical laser that has been integrated onto its host C-130 platform in ground tests. The first successful firing of the high-energy chemical laser occurred May 13 at Kirtland AFB, N.M. Additional ground tests are planned, followed by tests from the air against mission-representative targets, the company said. “Later this year, we will fire the laser in-flight at ground targets, demonstrating the military utility of this transformational directed energy weapon,” said Scott Fancher, VP and GM of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.