Laser weapon destroys targets with ‘near-instantaneous lethality’

According to officials at the US Office of Naval Research (ONR), the laser weapon system (LaWS) was successfully deployed and operated aboard a naval vessel in the Persian Gulf.

The operational demonstrations, which took place from September to November aboard USS Ponce (AFSB [I] 15), showed that a laser weapon could be deployed aboard a US Navy ship and work alongside existing ship defence systems.

‘Laser weapons are powerful, affordable and will play a vital role in the future of naval combat operations,’ said Rear Adm. Matthew L. Klunder, chief of naval research. ‘We ran this particular weapon, a prototype, through some extremely tough paces, and it locked on and destroyed the targets we designated with near-instantaneous lethality.’

During the tests, LaWS - a collaborative effort between ONR, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and industry partners - hit targets mounted aboard a speeding oncoming small boat, shot a Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) out of the sky, and destroyed other moving targets at sea.