X-wings these are not. Someday, laser-toting airplanes may be sleek, small fighters, but first the U.S. Air Force wants to put laser guns on big, bulky, and decidedly unsexy aircraft. USAF's first laser weapons will go on C-17s and C-130, planes better known for carrying cargo than packing a punch.

Scout Warrior explains:

[Air Force Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias] explained that much of the needed development involves engineering the size weight and power trades on an aircraft needed to accommodate an on-board laser weapon. Developing a mobile power-source small enough to integrate onto a fast-moving fighter jet remains a challenge for laser technology, he added.

"The other part is all the component technology. You are going to give up fuel or some armaments. It is not just getting enough power on board it is getting the aiming technology. Its dealing with turbulent air flow on a high-speed platform," Zacharias said.