Shiva Star, the USAF’s pulsed-power research device, was used to power a project called “MARAUDER.” The SDI experiment was intended to produce a toroid of plasma and fire it at 3% the speed of light (via rail gun) at incoming nuclear missiles. It remains classified.

The US government’s interest in weaponizing plasma goes back at least 50 years. More here: https://www.wired.com/2009/02/great-balls-of/

Honestly one of the most impressive aspects of this project is the acronym:

Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation

This is not the only government program that involved shooting bolts of light and energy and incoming missiles.

Yes, this gif is real.

https://twitter.com/aerodork/status/810586739924488192?s=21 https://twitter.com/aerodork/status/810586739924488192