A key weapon in America’s ‘Golden Dome’ defense shield is taking shape

# Plain English Summary The U.S. military is building a laser weapon system designed to shoot down cruise missiles heading toward American cities or military bases—part of a broader defense shield called "Golden Dome." The new system, a collaboration between the Army and Navy, will start at 150 kilowatts of power (think of it like a laser strong enough to burn through aircraft or missiles) and could eventually be upgraded to 300-500 kilowatts, building on lessons learned from smaller laser weapons already tested on Navy destroyers.