In a surprise announcement, U.S. Navy leaders said that they plan to deploy a solid-state laser weapon aboard a ship for the first time come fiscal year 2014.
The U.S. Navy installed a temporary Laser Weapon System aboard the guided-missile destroyer, USS Dewey, for a recent demonstration of the technology.
The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) was built by the Naval Sea Systems Command using a commercial fiber solid-state laser and a combination of methods developed at the Naval Research Laboratory (the exact details of which are being kept under wraps for obvious reasons).
LaWS can be directed at targets using radar from a MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon system, or other targeting source. This impressive combination of technologies allows sailors to quickly react to an incoming threat, whether it’s a boat or an aerial target, and easily address the matter without firing a single bullet.
“Our directed energy initiatives, and specifically the solid-state laser, are among our highest priority science and technology programs. The solid-state laser program is central to our commitment to quickly deliver advanced capabilities to forward-deployed forces,” Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder said. “This capability provides a tremendously affordable answer to the costly problem of defending against asymmetric threats, and that kind of innovative approach is crucial in a fiscally constrained environment.”
Expounding upon the latter part of his statement, “Our conservative data tells us a shot of directed energy costs under $1,” Klunder said. “Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to fire a missile, and you can begin to see the merits of this capability.”
The Office of Naval Research and Naval Sea Systems recently held a successful demonstration of their high-energy laser technology against remotely piloted aircraft while aboard a moving surface combatant ship. Demonstrations like this, coupled with the proper leveraging of investments made through other Department of Defense agencies, has allowed the Naval researchers to increase the ruggedness of the technology, as well as improve upon the power and beam quality of the lasers.
As a result of these advancements, they’ve been able to double the range of this particular weapon and deliver the product much sooner than expected — two years sooner as a matter of fact.
“The future is here,” said Peter A. Morrision, program officer for ONR's Sold-State Laser Technology Maturation Program. “The solid-state laser is a big step forward to revolutionizing modern warfare with directed energy, just as gunpowder did in the era of knives and swords.”
Video of the high-energy laser demonstration below:
Experts believe that the solid-state laser technology gives the Navy an extremely affordable, multi-mission weapon that is as efficient as it is accurate.
What’s more, given that the technology is run on electricity, it can be used so long as there is power on board. This provides an element of reliability and also a measure of safety, as it does not necessitate the carrying of propellants and explosives aboard the ship.
“We expect that in the future, a missile will not be able to simply outmaneuver a highly accurate, high-energy laser beam traveling at the speed of light,” Klunder said.
Story via: navy.mil
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