⚡ The United States is accelerating the conversion of laser weapons from prototype systems to more practical applications.

⚡, the United States is accelerating the conversion of laser weapons from prototype systems to more practical applications.

Most recently, the United States Department of Defense awarded an initial $86 million deal for nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight to develop the Joint Laser Weapon System, or JLWS, for handling drones and cruise missiles, with the project framework potentially worth a maximum of $847 million.

The first prototype system will have about 150 kilowatts before evolving to 300-500 kilowatts and designed as a container module to be installed on land and warships.

🔬 Laser works by concentrating energy to a key point of a target, such as a sensor, electronic device, or structure, until it is damaged.

Even though the beam travels at the speed of light, this does not mean that the target is immediately damaged every time, because the system must maintain the beam on the original spot for a period of time, which depends on the laser power, distance and type of target.

💰 The hallmark is that it does not require one rocket per target, keeps the energy cost per shot low, and relaunches as long as there is electricity and cooling, but the term "a few dollars at a time" refers only to the estimated energy cost, not including system price, maintenance, personnel, and sensing sensors.

🌧️ The main limitations are rain, fog, smoke, dust, air turbulence, including direct target visibility, so it still cannot replace all interceptor rockets.

The laser is therefore not a magic shield, but another layer of defense system that helps keep expensive rockets in place to deal with higher-level threats.

Sources: U.S. Department of Defense - JLWS Awards, U.S. GAO - Directed Energy Weapons

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