Laser Cannon Deployed By US Navy For Tests

The US Navy has unveiled its latest weapon - a laser cannon capable of shooting down drones and disabling vessels. A prototype of the Laser Weapon System (LaWS) installed on the destroyer USS Dewey is believed to have cost up to $32m (£21m) to make. However, it runs on electricity and costs as little as $1 (66p) to fire - a fraction of the cost of conventional weaponery. "The future is here," said Peter Morrison of the Office of Naval Research. "The solid-state laser is a big step forward to revolutionising modern warfare with directed energy, just as gunpowder did in the era of knives and swords." The US Navy released a video of LaWS being used to shoot down a drone off the coast of San Diego, California. The system is expected to be installed permanently on USS Ponce in the next financial year. A spokesman for the US Navy described LaWS as "revolutionary technology that gives the Navy an extremely affordable, multi-mission weapon with a deep magazine and unmatched precision, targeting and control functions". However, a report by the Congressional Research Service noted several drawbacks, including the potential for laser beams to strike satellites or aircraft. The system could also be affected be rain or fog. JOIN VSP GROUP PARTNER PROGRAM: https://youpartnerwsp.com/ru/join?90063