U.S. Navy Ship Shoots Down Drone With Laser Weapon

U.S. Navy Ship Shoots Down Drone With Laser Weapon

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII — The U.S. Navy shot down an aerial drone with a solid state laser weapon during a test off Pearl Harbor on May 16, according to the Pacific Fleet.

The exercise marked the first shot fired by the Laser Weapon System Demonstrator at sea.

The amphibious dock Portland was selected as a test platform for the experimental weapon.

Naval documents published by The Drive suggest the laser should include power and cooling units, other subsystems, and integration with the Aegis Combat System.

According to the U.S. Navy Institute, the LWSD represents advancements in laser director and spectral beam combining technology, which combines multiple beams of different wavelengths into a more powerful laser.

Additionally, the Navy is developing other lasers that will be suitable for the fleet's destroyers that lack the energy output for solid state-type weapons.

These lasers would include hard-kill systems as well as less-than-lethal dazzlers that would dissuade approaching boats and disable surveillance platforms.