A brief history of laser weapons (pictures)

The Pentagon has long been infatuated by the promise of laser firepower. Blinded by the light? Perhaps. But it has eked out a few small victories in this arduous campaign.To those who grew up in the 20th century, few things would have seemed as 21st-century as laser weapons. Surely we'd have ray guns in that not-quite-so-distant future! Yet here we are in the second decade of the 21st century already, and laser weapons remain ever so futuristic.

Yet tomorrow is creeping closer, if ever so slowly, toward that vision of laser weapons for land, sea, and air. In this slideshow, we'll take a look at what's been accomplished so far by the U.S. military-industrial complex, what's coming next, and what never really got off the drawing board. [Read more]