[...] Although the weapon does not work on buried mines, it could be effective against surface-laid devices and munitions such as unexploded shells and cluster bombs.

As such it would have been very useful to land troops who formed the advance parties of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition when they first moved into Afghanistan late last year to prepare airfields and clear roads ahead of the main force.

A key limitation to date, the magazine said, has been preventing the main laser from overheating as industrial strength lasers are cooled by continuous water flow that would be impossible in a vehicle operating under battle conditions.

However, it said developer Sparta of Huntsville, Alabama, had overcome the problem by developing a closed-cycle cooling system for the laser that can unleash up to 2,000 watts of zapping power on its target.