Second test of Air Force's drone-killing laser may start later this year By (0) The U.S. Air Force is testing high-powered lasers and microwaves for use of directed energy to shoot down drones and other aerial objects, it said on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Raytheon Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Further experiments in directed energy weapons -- which use of lasers and microwaves to intercept hostile airborne objects -- are expected in 2021, the U.S. Air Force said on Wednesday. A one-year assessment of the High Energy Laser Weapon System 2, or HELWS2, made by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, began in spring 2020, with a second test expected 6 to 12 months after it is completed, the Air Force said in a statement.