U.S. Laser Weapons Used in Iran Conflict, Analyst Says
Military analyst Yury Knutov says U.S. laser weapons are being used against Iranian drones, with Navy ships carrying directed-energy systems.
The U.S. military is already using classified laser weapons beyond testing grounds and in real conflict conditions, including in the confrontation with Iran, according to military analyst and air defense forces historian Yury Knutov.
Knutov said the United States is actively developing directed-energy technologies and using them, among other purposes, against Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles. He added that some U. S. Navy ships have already been equipped with combat laser systems.
According to the analyst, nine American destroyers carry laser weapons, including the Hermes and Orion systems. He said one of them, with a power of 60 kW, is designed to blind drones, while the other, rated at 100–120 kW, can burn them down.
Knutov also claimed that two ships armed with such systems are currently deployed in the Middle East. Their role, he said, is to support the security of U.S. forces in the region, including aircraft carrier groups.
The expert noted that the United States has been working on laser weapons for many years. He said such systems had previously been used against weather balloons, while current development is moving in several directions at once.
According to Knutov, Washington is also working on a laser that, in theory, could strike warheads in space, though such a system would require a power level of 1 GW. He recalled that the United States had previously managed to create lasers with a power of 300 kW, and described the development of laser technology and electromagnetic guns as a global priority.
Earlier, media reports said Pentagon leaders had personally attended a demonstration of laser and microwave weapons for the first time. The tests, held in the U.S. state of New Mexico, involved the 20 kW LOCUST mobile directed-energy system developed by AeroVironment specialists.