US Navy shows off first of a kind laser weapon by destroying drones over the Pacific
New weapons of war are emerging, from autonomous robotic weapons systems to hypersonic weapons systems, so the military needs a new way to defeat them all.
Key takeaways
- Laser weapons like the ones in the movies used to be science fiction, until China created a laser rifle and the US and Russia both demonstrated their own laser weapons systems by, well, destroying stuff.
- Karrey Sanders, the ship's commanding officer, said in a statement.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'US Navy shows off first of a kind laser weapon by destroying drones over the Pacific', 311 Institute, 26 May. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/us-navy-shows-off-first-of-a-kind-laser-weapon-by-destroying-drones-over-the-pacific/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Laser weapons like the ones in the movies used to be science fiction, until China created a laser rifle and the US and Russia both demonstrated their own laser weapons systems by, well, destroying stuff. Now in another test of these new fangled laser systems the US Navy has just shared footage of a destroyer using a laser weapon to take out flying drones in the Pacific Ocean.
The navy revealed the USS Portland (LPD-27) used its Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) against an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) last week, and the trial was the first time a high-energy class solid-state laser has been demonstrated outside of the lab.
Post on X
#USSPortland (LPD 27) conducts Laser Weapon System Demonstrator Test in Pacific: https://t.co/zZJglgDIcf @USNavy @USNavyResearch #NavyLethality pic.twitter.com/K8xtcEWiRz
U.S. Pacific Fleet (@USPacificFleet) May 22, 2020
"By conducting advanced at sea tests against UAVs and small crafts, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against potential threats," US Navy Capt. Karrey Sanders, the ship's commanding officer, said in a statement.
The Navy also unsurprisingly revealed that its ships have been facing an increasing number of threats "including UAVs, armed small boats, and new adversary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems." While they’ve been developing laser weapons since the 1960’s it’s only recently that those systems have become viable as the battery and energy systems needed to power these energy guzzling weapons have improved in performance and energy density.
DEWs include lasers and are defined as “electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy in order to degrade, neutralize, defeat, or destroy an adversarial target.”
“The Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator is a unique capability the Portland gets to test and operate for the Navy while paving the way for future weapons systems, “ said Sanders. “With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy” - something that is sorely needed as US adversaries continue to accelerate the development and deployment of a range of next generation weapons systems including hypersonic weapons that are incredibly difficult to neutralise.
Recently the US Navy had to deal with drones and even long-range missiles being fielded by rivals like China in the South China Sea so the navy’s development of these new kinds of systems is becoming more urgent than ever before and they’re accelerating their efforts.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
New weapons of war are emerging, from autonomous robotic weapons systems to hypersonic weapons systems, so the military needs a new way to defeat them all.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on security and privacy and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- View on X → twitter.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 26 May 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). US Navy shows off first of a kind laser weapon by destroying drones over the Pacific. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/us-navy-shows-off-first-of-a-kind-laser-weapon-by-destroying-drones-over-the-pacific/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.