KUBINKA/ Moscow Region/, September 6. /TASS/. Russia is working on a plane armed with a new generation laser weapon, a source in the defense-industrial complex has told TASS.

"Research is underway into a new generation airborne laser weapon," the source said, adding that he was referring to a plane mentioned in open sources as the A-60 project.

Attempts at creating an airborne laser were made back in the Soviet era. The first sample of the A-60 plane based on the Ilyushin-76MD jet performed its maiden flight in 1981.

Several years ago the media said the mothballed project had been re-activated.

The United States, too, worked on an airborne laser for some time. The program produced an experimental combat plane Boeing YAL-1 only to be curtailed.