50kw is actually not that powerful in terms of lasers. Petawatt systems are being built.
The 50kW laser that the air force wants is a sustained laser. This is not at all comparable to the petawatt lasers used by scientists, which produce pulses on the order of a femtosecond. Such a brief pulse would not be able to destroy a missile since the total amount of energy delivered is very low.
The 50kW laser that the air force wants is a sustained laser. This is not at all comparable to the petawatt lasers used by scientists, which produce pulses on the order of a femtosecond. Such a brief pulse would not be able to destroy a missile since the total amount of energy delivered is very low.