USN Laser test successful UAS interdiction

[KevinB]

US Navy hits drone with HELIOS laser in successful test

The destroyer Preble successfully test-fired its HELIOS system on a drone target, according to a recently released report.

www.navytimes.com

 

[KevinB]

More

Image captures US Navy testing its new laser weapon: What to know about HELIOS

The undated image shows the U.S. Navy testing a weapon system known as HELIOS from the USS Preble destroyer in the middle of the ocean.

www.usatoday.com

HELIOS: US tests laser weapons that can fry enemy drone 5 miles away

The United States Navy has reportedly tested its HELIOS laser weapon on an aerial target at a unknown location sometime in 2024.

interestingengineering.com

 

[medicineman]

I guess with a name like HELIOS, it's a Greek space laser so shouldn't upset MTG too much?

 

[Good2Golf]

I guess with a name like HELIOS, it's a Greek space laser so shouldn't upset MTG too much?

Otherwise it would be שֶׁמֶש…

 

[OldSolduer]

Otherwise it would be שֶׁמֶש…

Could it be a game changer?

 

[KevinB]

Otherwise it would be שֶׁמֶש…

 

[OldSolduer]

Sharks with frickin laser beams... Dr Evil was ahead of his time.....or behind....whatver.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Could it be a game changer?

Maybe not a game changer, as detection/targeting is still a challenge, especially for some of the small drones, but things like this is why new ships are being built with huge margins available for future tech in the electrical distribution side of things.

Can see it being used in addition to the CIWS, but hitting something 4-5 miles out vice hundreds of yards out is awesome, as you shouldn't get hit by the shrapnel, and with it not having ammo helps with some of the expected swarming tactics that will be coming down the pipe. There are ways to speed up recharge time but then you get into the fun side of having high powered energy storage areas and all the vulnerabilities that can add (plus unsexy things like cooling requirements, which is usually something you have less margins for).

 

[GR66]

Maybe not a game changer, as detection/targeting is still a challenge, especially for some of the small drones, but things like this is why new ships are being built with huge margins available for future tech in the electrical distribution side of things.

Can see it being used in addition to the CIWS, but hitting something 4-5 miles out vice hundreds of yards out is awesome, as you shouldn't get hit by the shrapnel, and with it not having ammo helps with some of the expected swarming tactics that will be coming down the pipe. There are ways to speed up recharge time but then you get into the fun side of having high powered energy storage areas and all the vulnerabilities that can add (plus unsexy things like cooling requirements, which is usually something you have less margins for).

Move the support infrastructure for the laser platforms offboard? Maybe a well deck from which to deploy your autonomous laser carriers?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I guess with a name like HELIOS, it's a Greek space laser so shouldn't upset MTG too much?

They can cheer "OPA" everytime they set fire to something.

 

[medicineman]

They can cheer "OPA" everytime they set fire to something.

Smash some dishes too

 

[OldSolduer]

Smash some dishes too

The Germans do that as well - on the front step of a newly wed couple while speaking German sounding like they are angry. That was hilarious.

I was talking to a guy at that wedding who I swore could have been the poster boy for the new Aryan man. And he was from Berlin.

 

[KevinB]

Maybe not a game changer, as detection/targeting is still a challenge, especially for some of the small drones, but things like this is why new ships are being built with huge margins available for future tech in the electrical distribution side of things.

Can see it being used in addition to the CIWS, but hitting something 4-5 miles out vice hundreds of yards out is awesome, as you shouldn't get hit by the shrapnel, and with it not having ammo helps with some of the expected swarming tactics that will be coming down the pipe. There are ways to speed up recharge time but then you get into the fun side of having high powered energy storage areas and all the vulnerabilities that can add (plus unsexy things like cooling requirements, which is usually something you have less margins for).

The next version of HELIOS is reportedly 10x the power and will have a greater than 20MN range.

I’m not an electrical engineer, but while the power consumption reportedly wasn’t an issue for the beta test system, I don’t think that many ships outside of a CVN would be able to power more than 1 of those with any sort of cycle time, and the battery/capacitor/cooling requirements may make the juice not worth the squeeze for most ships currently at sea.

Part of which made me wonder if we may see a resurgence of the nuclear powered Cruiser for Close AD, as looking at the power generation on the Ford Class AB reactors at 7000MW each, it would appear that one could have a 40kt plus Cruiser that could pump out a fair amount of energy skyward towards threats.