U.S. Navy high-energy laser test
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The U.S. Navy says it has successfully tested a new high-energy laser weapon that can shoot down aircraft in mid-flight
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LASER WEAPON CAPABILITIES

1 Ship: Needs enough space and spare electrical power to host laser

2 Laser: Can be fired again and again, at more targets than ship’s onboard supplies of missiles and ammunition can handle

3 Beam: Engages by line of sight, reaching target almost instantly (no need to plot intercept course)

4 Target: Beam’s precise focus causes disabling damage in seconds, even if target tries to manoeuvre

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USS Portland
Shot down drone with laser on May 16
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Cost: Less than $1 per laser shot – gives ship alternative to using expensive interceptor missiles against small targets such as drones
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LASER WEAPON SYSTEM DEMONSTRATOR (LWSD) MK 2 
“Solid-state laser” converts electrical energy to radiated energy, then focuses it onto specific target

Power: Expected to reach 150 kilowatts – sufficient to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or cripple armed small boats

Beam director: Housed on rotating mount

Tactical laser core module Bolted onto ship’s forward deck

Below decks
Support modules fit into spaces originally intended for host ship’s Vertical Launch System (VLS) missile tubes, which were never installed

Thermal storage module: Provides cooling capability

Energy storage module
Powers laser shots. Recharged by ship’s electrical system when laser is not firing
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Sources: CNN, Congressional Research Service, U.S. Navy
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