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The U.S. Navy tested a new laser weapon called HELIOS (High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance). They used it to shoot down a drone from the sky.
According to a report, this test was to see if HELIOS works well. The Navy wants these lasers because they often have to shoot down drones and missiles in certain areas like the Red Sea.
Besides blasting drones, HELIOS can also act as a “dazzler.” It confuses incoming threats by blinding their sensors. Plus, it has its own sensors for gathering information.
On the U.S.S. Preble, HELIOS replaces an older system called CIWS on the ship’s front. Some ships have two of those old systems, but newer ones might just have one.
The US Navy released a clip of the USS Preble firing a HELIOS laser weapon.
The High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-Dazzler and Surveillance will be used primarily to counter UAV.pic.twitter.com/5ZhzNMKukE
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 3, 2025
Back in May 2020, another ship used a similar laser to take out a drone. These types of weapons are called directed-energy weapons, or DEWs for short. They use energy to damage or destroy targets.
Naval News says there are two main types of these laser programs in the Navy. One focuses on surface ships while the other deals with technology development and testing.
But here’s the catch: these lasers aren’t perfect yet. They can only hit one target at a time and have issues with power and range. Plus, they’re still fragile for everyday military use.
