Star Wars laser guns for new RAF jets

THE RAF’s new £100million jets will be fitted with Star Wars-style laser guns.

The F-35 Lightning II will be the first fighter aircraft in history to be armed with the futuristic weapons.

It means RAF pilots will be able to attack air and ground targets at the speed of light.

The supersonic aircraft, which experts claim is invisible to radar, is scheduled to undergo testing in the near future.

Millions of pounds are being spent by the British and US governments on research and development for a “direct energy” weapon which can be fitted to the aircraft. The UK also recently announced that it was intending to develop and build a laser which could be mounted on Royal Navy warships.

Scientists in the US have already started testing a streamlined airborne laser turret. It will allow pilots to rapidly aim and focus a directed energy burst at a range of targets, destroying them within seconds.

Last night a source said that fitting lasers to the aircraft will make it one of the most deadly weapons ever invented. They added: “A laser will fire a pulse of energy at an incoming missile, aircraft or ground target which will destroy it within seconds.

“The laser really will be a Star Wars weapon, and it will transform aerial combat.

“It is still in the developmental stages and it could take between three and five years before it is ready to be fitted to the F-35. But the aircraft will definitely be the first fighter to go into battle with a laser.”

The F-35 fighter jet is the most expensive warplane ever built. The UK is buying 48 over the next decade, costing taxpayers about £9.1billion.

The 1,200mph jets, jointly operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy, will be deployed from land and sea, including off the decks of the new £3.1bn Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.

The aircraft’s angular design and radar-absorbent covering allows it to avoid being easily detected by enemy sensors.

It gives off a faint infrared and visual signature to help evade heat-seeking missiles.

Inside, the cockpit features a hi-tech glass touchscreen and voice recognition system.

Images from six cameras give the pilot a 360-degree infrared map of the surroundings straight to their visor.

And a super-smart on-board computer helps the pilot analyse the battlefield and identify targets.

Steve Over, from Lockheed Martin, said the “formidable” jets would act as a deterrent to other nations.

He added: “Russia and China will push until they meet a point of resistance and this aircraft gives nations like the UK the edge.”