Navy Unveils Drone-Killing Laser
April 9th, 2013Via: U.S. News and World Report:
The Navy’s top officer unveiled new technology Monday that allows ships to shoot down drones or other vehicles for about the cost of a pack of gum.
The USS Dewey tested an onboard laser weapons system in July 2012, in which it successfully shot down a test drone. Navy Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of Naval Operations, screened video of the event while speaking at the Sea-Air-Space expo.
The Laser Weapon System or LaWS only costs roughly $1 per shot and could be employed against fast attack ships or even be used in the future for missile defense.
This kind of “non-kinetic” weapon that does not involve shooting a projectile at an enemy craft will define the future of naval war, Greenert said.
Related: Navy Deploying Laser Weapon Prototype Near Iran
