The Scrapbook was thrilled to learn that the U.S. Navy finally has a fully operational laser—and, no, not the kind we’ve been using for years with guidance systems, but rather an actual laser weapon.
According to USNI News, “The U.S. Navy has declared an experimental laser weapon on its Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Persian Gulf an operational asset, and U.S. Central Command has given permission for the commander of the ship to defend itself with the weapon, the head of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) told reporters on Wednesday.”
This 30-kilowatt “asset” is known simply as LaWS, which stands for Laser Weapon System (although we would have preferred to call it a blaster). ONR rear admiral Matthew Klunder explained to USNI News that the laser “was installed aboard USS Ponce this summer as part of a $40 million research and development effort from ONR and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to test the viability of directed energy weapons in an operational environment.”
In a video provided by ONR, you can see the laser, which resembles a telescope, take aim and directly hit moving sea targets as well as a drone in midflight. There aren’t any massive explosions, just a sudden burst of smoke. In fact, the laser itself is not visible (unless, perhaps, it were fired in the midst of fog). And LaWS does not have the capacity to obliterate planetary systems. At least not yet.
You can watch the Navy’s video by going to www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0DbgNju2wE.
