Not sure of the increased lethality of air platform type laser weapons. How was that building more destroyed than if one dropped a JDAM on it. How is a fire started by a airplane based laser weapon less hot than one started with Incendiary bombs.

Now, space based DEWs is another story. Airplanes, whether housing lasers, or carrying bombs can be tracked, shot down. Space based DEWs masquerading as communications satellites, can be tracked and probably are, and they cam be destroyed by only a handful of countries.

If we start seeing space based weapons, I think we will quickly kick off a Kessler syndrome scenario. And in fact without any effective way to clean up the proliferation of space junk, my create an artificial barrier that limits, or raise, the risk, complexity of future space exploration.

Kessler syndrome