Tag Archives: LAWS

CNO: Missile Attack on Russian Warship Moskva Moved Navy to Speed Up Laser Defense for Ships

CNO: Missile Attack on Russian Warship Moskva Moved Navy to Speed Up Laser Defense for Ships

USS Portland (LPD-27) conducts a high-energy laser weapon system demonstration on a static surface training target on Dec. 14, 2021 while sailing in the Gulf of Aden. US Marine Corps Photo

The April sinking of Russian cruiser RTS Moskva (121) in the Black Sea by the Ukrainian Navy is prompting the United States Navy to push hard for directed energy defenses on its warships, the service’s top officer told reporters on Tuesday. Read More

ONR Winter to Congress: Navy Making Progress on Developing High-Energy Laser Weapons

ONR Winter to Congress: Navy Making Progress on Developing High-Energy Laser Weapons

Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS). US Navy Photo

Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS). US Navy Photo

High-energy laser weapons “are moving forward in marked progress,” the director of the Office of Naval Research told the House Armed Services Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee Wednesday. Read More

U.S. Navy Allowed to Use Persian Gulf Laser for Defense

U.S. Navy Allowed to Use Persian Gulf Laser for Defense

Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS). US Navy Photo

Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS). US Navy Photo

PENTAGON — The U.S. Navy has declared an experimental laser weapon on its Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Persian Gulf an operational asset and U.S. Central Command has given permission for the commander of the ship to defend itself with the weapon, the head of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) told reporters on Wednesday. Read More

Document: Report on Navy Shipboard Lasers

Document: Report on Navy Shipboard Lasers

The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105) US Navy Photo

The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105) US Navy Photo

The following is from the Feb. 7, 2013 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense.

More powerful shipboard lasers, which could become ready for installation in subsequent years, could provide Navy surface ships with an ability to counter a wider range of surface and air targets at ranges of up to about 10 miles. These more powerful lasers might, among other things, provide Navy surface ships with a terminal-defense capability against certain ballistic missiles, including China’s new anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). Read More