US Navy Tests World's First Drone-Killing Laser Weapons System
19th July, 2017Category:
The U.S. Navy recently test fired the world's first operational and deployed laser weapons from a warship in the Persian Gulf. The laser successfully destroyed an unnamed aerial vehicle (UAV) and moving surface targets. The new weapon releases photons—elementary particles which transmit light—at the speed of light silently hitting their target and burning it to a temperature of thousands of degrees.
Unlike a traditional gun, a laser never runs out of bullets given that it has an infinite magazine as long as it is connected to a power source. Lasers are primarily intended for short-range defense (one to five miles) against aircraft, drones, and small boats. Second-generation laser weapons systems are currently under development intended to take on faster targets such as incoming ballistic missiles. The 30-kilowatt, laser weapon, installed aboard the USS Ponce already in 2014, is extremely accurate and can be scaled depending on the target.
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