The U.S. Navy successfully tested its High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system on one of its warships during fiscal year 2024, as reported in a recently released document.
The test involved the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble, which fired its HELIOS system at an aerial drone during a weapons testing exercise. This information was detailed in a report published in January 2024 by the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. While the report did not specify the exact date or time of the laser’s deployment, it included a black-and-white photograph depicting a white light streak emanating from the vessel into the sky.
The Center for Countermeasures, a program initiated in 1972 to assess the Defense Department’s ability to counter emerging technological threats, conducted 32 tests in fiscal year 2024. These tests included the development and evaluation of directed energy weapons. According to the report, the testing on the USS Preble was conducted to “verify and validate the functionality, performance, and capability” of the HELIOS system.
The specific location of the test remains unclear. However, it is notable that the USS Preble departed from Naval Base San Diego, California, in September 2024 and arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 12, 2024.
Lockheed Martin delivered the 60-plus-kilowatt HELIOS laser to the Navy in August 2022, marking it as the first tactical laser system installed on existing ships.
The need for such technology has been underscored by incidents of unmanned warfare, particularly in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where Navy vessels have engaged drones and missiles launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels since the fall of 2023. In 2024, Vice Adm. Brendan McLane highlighted that a directed-energy weapon would provide essential support for U.S. warships facing Houthi combatants.
The integration of lasers on Navy vessels is expected to aid in conserving munitions. Despite the Defense Department’s annual investment of $1 billion in high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves, tangible results have not met Navy leadership’s expectations.
The Navy has encountered several challenges in developing and implementing directed-energy weapons. Issues include determining appropriate deployment situations, ensuring the laser systems meet operational needs, and further complications from finding a power supply aboard ships and environmental conditions such as fog and wind.
Currently, there are eight Optical Dazzling Interdictor (ODIN) laser dazzlers integrated into Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which serve to disrupt enemy sensors. Additionally, a 150-kilowatt Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) has been installed on a San Antonio-class amphibious transport ship, as noted in a Congressional Research Service report from December 2024.
The author of the report, Riley Ceder, is a reporter at Military Times, specializing in breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber issues. He previously served as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post.
