Despite efforts by politicians like Obama, laser and RF weapons will show up on the battlefield within the next 10 years. Unfortunately, they may be fielded by China or Russia.
The Russians have been working at this since the 1970s at their Shary Shagan Facility in a facility called Terra-3.They built the major Terra-3 laser testing centre at Sary Shagan in the 1970’s, which was eventually equipped with Astrofizika high energy red ruby and carbon dioxide lasers. But the energies were not sufficient for anti-ballistic missile use. The first applications would have to be limited to anti-satellite, and then primarily to blind optical sensors.
ugh.
I hope whoever wins in 2012, not Obama, will get us back on the ball.
If you would like to see the Terra-3 facility, I would provide you the Earth coordinates:
45.881°N 73.533°E