The U.S. Navy unveiled a photo of a warship’s high-powered laser weapon in an annual report released last month.
The image published in the Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation’s 2024 report shows the High Energy Laser on USS Preble being tested on a drone target, the report said. It’s unclear where the ship was stationed at the time.
There were no other details about the results of the department’s test and evaluation.
Department of Defense
To safely test High Energy Laser weapons, the Department of Defense would require new test and training ranges, the report said. Such facilities would require HEL-specific safety equipment as well as radars and sensors that can collect data to assess performance.
Further testing of laser weapons is expected to continue on U.S. Navy ships in 2025, according to Naval News who first reported on the test.
Last year, the Center for Countermeasures conducted 32 tests of different weapons and aircraft, according to the DOT&E’s fiscal report.
