SHiELD with a lower-case I.
6th generation fighter plane closer than we thought?
6TH GENERATION COMBINING STEALTH WITH ON-BOARD PARTICLE BEAM WEAPON OF SOME SORT.
The article BY PATRICK TUCKER thanks to the tip from Matt:
"U.S. Air Force says a ground-based laser downed multiple test missiles over New Mexico."
"A successful ground test has moved the U.S. military one big step closer to putting anti-missile lasers on its aircraft."
"A ground-based laser shot down 'several' missiles in flight during an April 23 test at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Air Force officials said. Run by the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, the test was part of the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator, or SHiELD, a program intended to protect aircraft from incoming missiles."
GROUND-BASED LASER AND NOT AIRBORNE. ABLE TO BLAST OUT THE SKY MISSILES OF THE SURFACE-AIR OR AIR-AIR TYPE! AS INCORPORATED IF AND WHEN INTO A SIXTH GENERATION FIGHTER PLANE STRICTLY AS A DEFENSIVE WEAPON!
Furthermore and within context of a prior blog entry:
"the Missile Defense Agency is trying to figuring out whether a high-energy laser mounted on an F-35 could disable ICBMs. Results from initial studies are expected later this year."
F-35 ABLE TO DETECT SHOOT-DOWN VIA LASER AN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE [ICBM] DURING THE BOOST PHASE OF LAUNCH!
coolbert.