Watch the Navy’s New Ship-Mounted Laser Cannon Kill a Drone
Congressional Research Service Report
The U.S. Navy has unveiled a futuristic new ship mounted infrared laser
weapon that officials say could be used to shoot down drones and disable
other ships, all without significant costs for ammunition.
The
Navy said it intends to deploy the weapon, the Laser Weapons System
(LaWS), to the Persian Gulf area in 2014 in what some are saying is a
response to Iran's ongoing development of a fleet of drones.
Navy
officials will install the high-powered laser weapon on the USS Ponce,
which is responsible for naval operations in the Persian Gulf area and
the Horn of Africa, over the next year, according to NBC News. The laser
will become fully operational by summer 2014.
Officials said
LaWS may initially be used for encounters with antagonizing small boats
and vessels, which Iran has been known to operate, that pose a threat to
larger Navy ships. But the high-powered new technology could eventually
be used to combat airborne threats, including missiles and drones.
The firepower released from LaWS, in the form of a high-powered infrared laser, can strike down drones in seconds flat.
x
No comments:
Post a Comment