LaWS Uses Photons To Destroy Drone In Flight

The U.S. Navy has successfully tested a laser weapon against a drone in flight. The Laser Weapons System (LaWS), deployed aboard the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship, is "ready to be used today and every day," according to a report from CNN.

USS Ponce Capt. Christopher Well told CNN, which was granted exclusive access to the test, that the system is "more precise than a bullet." It can be used against air targets as well as surface targets.

Unlike depictions of laser weapons in science fiction movies, the beam is silent and invisible. Lt. Cale Hughes, laser weapons system officer, said that the weapon throws "massive amounts of photons at an incoming target. We're able to engage the targets at the speed of light."

In the test, a wing of the incoming drone lit up, instantly reaching thousands of degrees, causing the damaged aircraft to crash into the water. Wells said that the laser limits collateral damage, and there is no concern about rounds which miss the target.

While the system costs about $40 million, it only costs about a dollar per shot. It is powered by a small generator, and requires a crew of three.

The system has been undergoing testing for about three years, Hughes said. "It's designed with the intent of being able to counter airborne and surface-based threats,. And it's been able to prove itself over the last three years as being incredibly effective at that."

A second-generation system is reportedly in development, which could be used to defend against incoming missiles. Those tests remain classified, Well said.

(Images provided by the U.S. Navy and from U.S. Navy YouTube video)

FMI: www.navy.mil, Navy YouTube video