The United States Navy is moving forward with a new laser weapon system that can “disable” or “destroy” small boats or hostile drones. Lockheed Martin is responsible for developing a system that can strike multiple targets at the speed of light in an ever-changing world of warfare.
"The HELIOS program is the first of its kind, and brings together laser weapon, long-range ISR and counter-UAS capabilities, dramatically increasing the situational awareness and layered defense options available to the U.S. Navy," Evans said in a statement."This is a true system of capabilities, and we're honored the Navy trusted Lockheed Martin to be a part of fielding these robust systems to the fleet.
Once the Laser Weapons System is developed and installed on the Arleigh Burke by 2020, there will be multi-layered testing of the system, from cooling, maintenance, how much of the ship’s power it would take and how it would integrate with the rest of the ship’s weapons, whether it’s guided missiles or the Close-In Weapon System also known as the Phalanx — or the R2D2 to those in the fleet.
“We are going to burn the boats if you will and move forward with this technology,” Boxall said in the Naval Institute report. “The problem I have today is the integration of that system into my existing combat system. If I’m going to burn the boats, I’m going to replace something I have today with that system doing that mission with these weapons.