Cold plasmas are low to medium temperature ionized gases. They can be adjusted to fit different requirements by changes in their frequency, which modifies the density of the plasma. However, higher densities require higher energy inputs.

Cloaking of combat aircraft may be one of the closest to reality applications. The earliest such craft may require some sort of electro-magnetically transparent second-skin to contain the plasma in a protective layer about the platform. Then, when radar waves strike the craft the plasma can completely absorb them, rendering the craft effectively invisible on scopes.

Ablative plasma shields against projectiles might work by some solid shield material flashing to plasma when struck by a projectile to use the plasma's capabilities against the weapon while also solving the containment problem. But such impact-dependent shielding has many shortcomings.

In the longer term ablative shields would likely be controlled by defensive computers which would electronically flash a given section into cold plasma at the optimum time and range to defend against an incoming beam or projectile weapon. Multiple layers of such ablative armor would be present on some craft for such purposes. In other cases numerous heavily ablative armored robotic drones would buzz about a larger craft, maneuvering into position and deploying their own armors in a similar way as described by the computer triggering above.

The time frame for cold plasma protection against solid projectiles or lasers is given as decades, at the least (from 2000 AD). Apparently both of these threats would require plasma of such density as to almost be solid in nature.