The US Air Force revealed a ground laser system that has the ability to protect fighter jets and other military aircraft from incoming tests such as missiles or anti aircraft material, the prototype is set to be finished by 2021, according to The Drive.

The Air Force and Research Laboratory successfully with defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The technology was originally to be made specifically for ground assault technology, however the technology is being developed to be fitted to military aircraft material. The defense contractor has been successful with a few of these tests using a Dassault F10 business jet in the pat.

However, the testing is still under concern as the project is rumored to still be in stage one, according to the Drive and material presented to the public even though much of it was redacted. The goal at the moment is adapting low ground assaults tests in order to identify what type of atmosphere the technology will do best in, as well as deciding whether if the operators manning the lasers have the ability to diffuse the missiles and in what atmospheric conditions.

“The successful test is a big step ahead for directed energy systems and protection against adversarial threats,” U.S. Air Force Major General William Cooley, head of Air Force Research Laboratory, said in an official statement. “The ability to shoot down missiles with speed of light technology will enable air operation in denied environments.”