Laser weapons on fighters have moved closer to reality with modification of an F-16 simulator to include high-energy laser weapon computer models. Pilots of the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Fighter Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M. (where Air Force directed energy efforts are headquartered) are testing one design for air-to-air combat and another for attacking ground targets. The models take into account energy losses due to atmospheric transmission, the boundaries of lethal target engagements and laser limits and ranges, according to Rudy Martinez, a strategic planner with the Air Force Research Laboratory. A near-term goal is to use the...