New
York Times: A prototype laser weapon system will be
deployed for the first time on a US Navy ship. The laser, which
is designed to target unmanned aircraft and fast attack boats,
is planned to go operational next year on a ship that will be
stationed in the Persian Gulf in response to rising tensions
with Iran. The navy recently released video of successful tests
of the system against aerial drones. The system burns through
the drones and destroys them, and it can similarly target other
ships, especially the
fast
attack craft that make up one portion of Iran's navy. It is
also capable of "nonlethal" attacks in which it uses the laser
to overwhelm and disable sensor systems. The still experimental
weapon is limited by weather and line of sight, but it has a
low cost for useâmdash;$1 per sustained energy
pulse versus $1.4 million for a short-range interceptor
missileâmdash;and unlimited ammunition as long
as the ship can produce electricity. The navy hopes that future
versions of the weapon will be capable of targeting jet
aircraft and missiles, both of which travel at significantly
faster speeds than drones or other ships.
