The weapons is the high-energy laser with integrated optical dazzler and surveillance, more popularly known as HELIOS, and the Navy successfully test-fired the system last year and has more tests planned in 2025.
The HELIOS system is a type of direct-energy weapon, which the Navy confirmed is a viable weapon for intercepting aerial targets that might endanger U.S. Navy ships and other targets.
U.S. Navy personnel aboard the destroyer USS Preble at an unknown time and location affirmed the HELIOS system works during demonstration intended to "verify and validate the functionality, performance and capability" of the system "against an unmanned aerial vehicle target," the Department of Defense's 498-page 2024 Operational Test & Evaluation report says on page 388.
The U.S. military's Center for Countermeasures supported the test and collected images that support and validate the HELIOS as a viable countermeasure against low-cost drones and other weapons.
Engineers at Lockheed Martin developed the HELIOS directed-energy weapon that uses a 60-kilowatt laser that can blind the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors mounted on drones, Newsweek reported.
The laser weapon fires concentrated energy that travels at the speed of light with potentially limitless firepower at a cost that is much lower than when firing a conventional weapon, such as a missile, at a relatively low-cost drone.
HELIOS also can provide the Navy with long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability to identify potential combat targets and assess battle damage.
The Navy's 2025 budget includes funding for testing the HELIOS system against a cruise missile, Naval News reported.
Lockheed Martin developed the HELIOS system that might be added to Japan-based U.S. Navy destroyers to counter Chinese military drones deployed in the East China Sea. The USS Preble recently was deployed to Japan.
"Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy share a common vision and enthusiasm for developing and providing disruptive laser weapon systems," said Rick Cordaro, vice president of Lockheed Martin Advanced Product Solutions in an August 2022 press release.
"HELIOS enhances the overall combat system effectiveness of the ship to deter future threats and provide additional protection for Sailors, and we understand we must provide scalable solutions customized to the Navy's priorities," Cordaro said.
"HELIOS represents a solid foundation for incremental delivery of robust and powerful laser weapon system capabilities."
Lockheed Martin officials say the HELIOS is the first tactical laser weapon system integrated into existing ships and provides U.S. Navy fleet activities with directed-energy war-fighting capabilities.
The multi-mission HELIOS system also supports a layered defense architecture with its low cost-per-kill and speed-of-light delivery and precision-response capability, according to Lockheed Martin.
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