{"id":5486,"date":"2026-02-06T07:53:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T07:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=5486"},"modified":"2026-02-06T07:53:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T07:53:29","slug":"us-navys-new-laser-weapon-shoots-down-four-drones-in-latest-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=5486","title":{"rendered":"US Navy\u2019s new laser weapon \u2018shoots down four drones\u2019 in latest test"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0US<\/a>\u00a0Navy has successfully used a revolutionary ship-mounted laser weapon to shoot down four drones, according to a new report.<\/p>\n

The latest trial involved the\u00a0Arleigh\u00a0Burke-class destroyer USS Preble, equipped with Lockheed Martin\u2019s High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system.<\/p>\n

Lockheed Martin\u2019s Chief Executive, Jim Taiclet, said the shipboard laser was used to knock a drone \u2018right out of the sky\u2019 during a quarterly earnings call last week.<\/p>\n

\u2018The HELIOS weapon system successfully neutralised four drone threats in a U.S. Navy-operated counter-UAS (uncrewed aerial systems) demonstration at sea, showcasing an opportunity to eliminate drone attacks using lasers, and saving U.S. and allied air defence missiles for more advanced threats,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The news comes as the US Navy\u2019s most senior officer said he wants directed energy weapons to become the preferred option for crews defending warships against close-range threats.<\/p>\n

Britain and\u00a0Germany<\/a>\u00a0have also been trialling similar systems, which could change how soldiers address drone threats.<\/p>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>
The USS Preble is the only Navy vessel to carry the weapon (Picture: DOE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The HELIOS laser has been mounted on the bow of USS Preble since 2022 and is currently the only US Navy vessel to carry it.<\/p>\n

Vice Admiral Brendan McLane said at the Surface Navy Association\u2019s annual symposium in January: \u2018The Surface Navy has a rare opportunity with leadership aligned on delivering lethality, capability, and capacity at speed.<\/p>\n

\u2018As an enterprise, we must continue to think big as we develop the future platforms in the world.<\/p>\n

\u2018We must lay the foundations for the systems on those ships now so that they deliver on their promise to the American people.\u2019<\/p>\n

HELIOS is a 60-kilowatt-class directed energy weapon designed to destroy or damage targets such as drones or small boats.<\/p>\n

It can also be used as a so-called \u2018dazzler\u2019, intended to disrupt or blind optical sensors.<\/p>\n

Lockheed Martin has previously said the system could potentially be scaled up to 150 kilowatts.<\/p>\n

\n
\"US<\/div>
The high-tech laser has large capabilities (Picture: Lockheed Martin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Defending against multiple drones at once has become a growing concern for navies, particularly following recent operations in and around the Red Sea.<\/p>\n

Large-scale drone attacks, especially when combined with threats such as cruise or ballistic missiles, risk overwhelming traditional air defence systems.<\/p>\n

A British warship in the Red Sea previously shot down a\u00a0suspected drone attack, which was aimed at a merchant ship in the region.<\/a><\/p>\n

Cargo ships in waters off the Arabian Peninsula were the subject of drone attacks from nearby territory held by Houthi rebels in\u00a0Yemen<\/a>\u00a0in 2023.<\/p>\n

The British defensive move came after the Bahamas-flagged Unity Explorer, owned by a UK company, was\u00a0among three commercial vessels targeted in an attack<\/a>\u00a0by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0US\u00a0Navy has successfully used a revolutionary ship-mounted laser weapon to shoot down four drones, according to a new report. The latest trial involved the\u00a0Arleigh\u00a0Burke-class destroyer USS Preble, equipped with Lockheed Martin\u2019s High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system. Lockheed Martin\u2019s Chief Executive, Jim Taiclet, said the shipboard laser was used to knock […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t