The United States Navy unveiled HELIOS, a laser weapon system that has the advantage of never running out of energy

The photographs are authentic. The United States Navy shared an image of one of its ships using a laser weapon against a test target. Although it looks like something out of a Star Wars movie, it is actually the latest tests of the US military arsenal.

The image illustrating our article was created using artificial intelligence. However, when observing the photograph released by official agencies of the United States, you will notice that it resembles a color version of what has already been presented.

The laser system, designed to disable a drone, is named HELIOS, an acronym for High Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance.

The photograph shows the USS Preble, a warship, emitting a beam of light. According to an article in the Daily Mail, this beam corresponds to a weapon created in 2021 by the renowned company Lockheed Martin, famous for its expertise in missile manufacturing.

The company provided the laser to the United States Navy in 2022, and apparently, everything is ready for its operation.

Power and uses of HELIOS, the laser weapon

HELIOS has an operational range of 8 kilometers. It directs approximately 60 continuous kilowatts to a specific area. Its energy is practically inexhaustible.

The laser is capable of targeting a nearby threat, identifying enemy vessels, and disabling their sensors, as well as having the ability to destroy missiles.

A report from the United States Naval Institute states that a soldier on a ship cannot be trusted to fire a machine gun at a target, no matter how experienced the personnel may be.

“Even if some of the sailors were skilled shooters with the ability to shoot down drones, it is likely that several minutes would be required from the moment the first notice of a possible drone presence is received until it is identified, the alarm is activated, and the main weapons along with the necessary ammunition are used to confront the threat. This time interval may not be available to the ship,” the report clarified when explaining the justification for using this laser weapon.