Thursday, April 11, 2013

Navy Tests Ship Based Laser System

Below is a short video of the Laser Weapon System which the Navy temporarily installed aboard an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey built by Ingalls Shipbuilding..

 The laser is a technology demonstrator built by the Naval Sea Systems Command from commercial fiber solid state lasers. The unit is aimed by the MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon system of which the Aegis system is famous for.

The LaWS Close-In Weapon system uses the Solid State Laser (SSL) which can provide a ship with a quick reaction capability for defense against small boats and planes.

The LaWS weapon is still in its' prototype stage, however it is already showing its' merit as. This capability provides Navy ships a method for Sailors to easily defeat small boat threats and aerial targets without using bullets. (U.S. Navy video by Office of Naval Research/ Released)

The Office of Naval Research announced that they plan to deploy the system next year.

 From the Boing Boing article:


  • "Our conservative data tells us a shot of directed energy costs under $1," Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew 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."


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