US Tests Laser Weapons System in Persian Gulf

The LaWS system, which is capable of moving at the speed of light and is 50,000 times faster than the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), was deployed on board the USS Ponce transport ship in the Persian Gulf.

“It is more precise than a bullet… It’s not a niche weapon system like some other weapons that we have throughout the military where it’s only good against air contacts, or it’s only good against surface targets, or it’s only good against, you know, ground-based targets — in this case this is a very versatile weapon, it can be used against a variety of targets,” Christopher Wells, the ship captain, said.

The test was carried out with the help of a drone serving as a target, while the weapons team focused the system on it and shot, what destroyed the aircraft by heating to a temperature of thousands of degrees, according to the CNN broadcaster.

Lt. Cale Hughes, laser weapons system officer, told the broadcaster that the LaWS operated within an invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, being absolutely silent and “incredibly effective at what it does.”