The highest-ranking officer in the Navy believes one of the best ways to reduce the cost and reliance on expensive air defense munitions is to lean into laser beams.

The military has used significant numbers of critical munitions for air defense both during the war in Iran and in conflicts that predate it — such as the Israel-Iran 12-day war last year and in Operation Rough Rider, last year’s American war against the Houthis in Yemen — which have sparked a significant effort within the department to replace them and fast.