Watch Navy Ship USS Portland Obliterate A Drone Out Of The Sky With A Giant Frickin’ Laser Beam

Navy Ship USS Portland Destroys Drone With A High-Energy Laser Cannon

US Navy


While it’s not quite as cool as sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads, this video of US Navy amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland destroying a drone by firing a giant laser beam at it is still pretty darn badass.

According to the Navy, the USS Portland used a Solid State Laser – Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) MK 2 MOD 0 to disable an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

In other words, they blew a drone out of the air with a frickin’ laser.

LWSD is a high-energy laser weapon system demonstrator developed by the Office of Naval Research and installed on Portland for an at-sea demonstration. LWSD’s operational employment on a Pacific Fleet ship is the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser. The laser system was developed by Northrup Grumman, with full System and Ship Integration and Testing led by NSWC Dahlgren and Port Hueneme.

“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,” said Capt. Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of Portland.

The Navy calls systems such as this directed-energy weapons (DEWs), defined as “electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades, neutralizes, defeats, or destroys an adversarial capability.”

In other words, lasers that blow sh*t up.

“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.”

Badass.

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