Air Force Research Lab scientists have proved that chemical lasers can use recycled fuel during a test at Kirtland AFB, NM. A chemical laser was fueled with recycled hydrogen peroxide and chlorine waste from previous laser tests and then successfully fired on high power. Jason Marshall, research chemist and Air Force project officer, said that the fuel recycling process they used “can be continued indefinitely, providing a practical way to fuel laser weapons for the Air Force and other military services without the complexity and cost of periodically supplying new fuel to the battlefield.”
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.