[LibWhacker]

. . . which will house a three megawatt chemical oxygen–iodine laser (COIL) taking up most of the fuselage.

Seems so clunky to me. I wonder if any work has been done on "nuclear lasers?" In other words, not using lasers to initiate nuclear reactions but just the opposite: using a nuclear reactor to generate laser light. Much more powerful than chemical lasers, much more compact, and able to operate "indefinitely" for all intents and purposes, which seems to me to be highly desirable for satellite-based lasers. Of course, this is total speculation on my part . . . I was just wondering . . .

[Cachelot]

Seems so clunky to me. I wonder if any work has been done on "nuclear lasers?"

I think the Russians did some while they were still "Soviets".

[cinFLA]

In other words, not using lasers to initiate nuclear reactions but just the opposite: using a nuclear reactor to generate laser light. Much more powerful than chemical lasers, much more compact,

Nuclear reactors are NOT compact.