US Navy deploys laser weapon to Persian Gulf for first-ever combat mission
The US Navy has deployed its first ever combat laser. The futuristic weapon has boosted the arsenal of the Fifth Fleet’s command vessel in the Persian Gulf. The laser is said to be effective against numerous small targets, such as Iran’s gunboats.
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX-yKgKthSE for video demonstration with a drone.
A 30-kilowatt-class Laser Weapon System has been equipped on the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship since late August, Navy officials told Bloomberg.
The device is capable of focusing beams from six solid-state commercial welding lasers into a single strong beam, which can be used both as a blinding warning shot and as a weapon capable of setting fire to a drone or small boat.
It took Naval Sea Systems Command technicians seven years and $40 million to develop the technology to the current stage. The tour in the Gulf is more of a trial continuation than regular duty, as the Navy wants to learn more about its new tool.
The technology’s big advantage is its operational efficiency, as firing one shot costs just around $1, the Navy stressed. But lasers have their own peculiarities, with their efficiency depending on weather conditions, the presence of dust and vapors in the air, and other factors. The range of the laser, which is limited by those factors, remains classified.
There is also the issue of power, which the laser weapon requires in abundance – hence its deployment by the Navy on a warship with powerful generators.
Back in April, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, Frank Kendall, called the deployment of the laser on the USS Ponce “a worthwhile experiment” because “it’ll help us feel out the operational limitations” such as power constraints.
It was crucial to learn how the system would operate in the environment and how much energy it would consume, Kendall added.
The fact that the USS Ponce is stationed in the Persian Gulf “provides a unique platform” to deploy the laser “in an operationally relevant region,” Fifth Fleet commander Vice Admiral John Miller told Bloomberg in an email.
The US Navy has been boosting its presence in the area since 2011. The US targeted Iran’s oil industry and financial sector with economic sanctions aimed to put leverage on Tehran over its controversial nuclear program.
Amid the tensions, Iran threatened to close the Persian Gulf’s bottleneck, the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the global oil trade passes. Washington’s response was that it would use its Navy to prevent such a blockade.
Iran’s supposed plan to stifle the oil trade of its Gulf rival relied on large US warships with swarms of fast, small boats. Incidentally, the Pentagon’s new weapon is designed to destroy small, fast-moving targets.
However, in an interview earlier this year, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert stressed that the laser does not specifically target Iran.
“I wouldn’t target a country for a weapon, nor would I preclude putting together a weapons system for a country by itself,” Greenert said.
Replies
This is old news. I saw a demonstration of a ship equipped with weaponized laser-systems more than a year ago. Whatever newspaper it is you've pulled this from, it's years behind. And, it's not ET tech. Change your title, quickly before people think you be a moron. ;)
ACUTE OBSERVER: I put "??'s" in the title, so please don't call me a "moron." People of scientific backgrounds ask questions to get answers. Morons make blatant assumptions without asking questions. Thanks for clarifying this with the video, no thanks for the name-calling.
the disclosure project.org.
has all these top brass meeting about the silo's all over world being shut OFF and on by our real e.t. familes to not let the elite banksters who own the gov. , to not destroy, or terrorize any nation with such evil intent.
well, well , well the excuse now being told to the common man around the earth is::::: that it was done by a simple electronic waves cross over each other, so why did the top of line ship who was there to bully and show their power, all of sudden now russia has this power of the e.t. tools TO SHUT OFF AND ON ALL WEAPONS NOW ISSUED to use against the pirate international banksters bullying other nations, and it's far reach of IT'S colony u.s. bases all over the world like the roman empire. well IF OUR TRUE E.T. FAMILIES WANTED TO GIVE THIS TOOL TO the pirate gov.FOR IT had that tool we the human race will be at 500,000 population NUMBER TO control they AS THEY want.
and gee why did the most educated people not figured it out to design such a tool, or at least be able to defend the silo's ALL OF THESE YEARS, and still their paid for brains of THE evil could not create such a tool, to this day.
was is that it does not belong to the human race, until just recent
i can only guess the power and self control these true e.t. families of our's have to scare the s**** and wake up MANY of just how small the elite really are. it looks like the side have been picked of what the timeline will be.
for i really feel that this planet is a harvest d.n.a. and genes labortory PLANET and is very important to the many e.t. WHO visit we all know by the overwheming facts. pictures, whistleblowers who know the truth, and die for it, THAT THIS IS THE TRUTH.
blessings to all of us for we are all one
No problem. I did state that the Russian bombers "buzzed" the southern U.S., but then I could have been more specific.
Aint nothing fake about the laser, Patti:
The Laser Weapon System or LaWS is a directed-energy weapon developed by the United States Navy. The weapon was installed on the USS Ponce for field testing in 2014.[1][2][3]
Purpose[edit]
The intended use of the LaWS is ship-defense against drones or small-boat attackers (whether suicidal or not); the LaWS at present is not designed to engage incoming missiles, large aircraft, ships, or submerged objects. LaWS utilizes a solid-state infrared beam which can be tuned to high output to destroy the target or low output to warn or cripple the sensors of a target. Among the advantages of this device versus projectile weapons is the low cost per shot, as each firing of the weapon requires only the minimal cost of generating the energetic pulse; by contrast ordnance for projectile weapons must be designed, manufactured, handled, transported and maintained, and takes up storage space.
History[edit]
In 2010, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions was awarded an 11-million-dollar contract to develop LaWS in support of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) for the U.S. Navy’s Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems (DE&EWS) program.[4] The May 2012 NSWC test used a close-in weapon system control system to enable the beam director to track the UAV target.[5]
The LaWS was to be installed on the USS Ponce in summer 2014 for a 12-month trial deployment. The Navy spent about $40 million over the past six years on research, development, and testing of the laser weapon. It will be directed to targets by the Phalanx CIWS radar. If tests go well, the Navy could deploy a laser weapon operationally between 2017 and 2021 with an effective range of 1 mi (1.6 km; 0.87 nmi). The exact level of power the LaWS will use is unknown but estimated between 15-50 kW for engaging small aircraft and high-speed boats. Directed-energy weapons are being pursued for economic reasons, as they can be fired for as little as one dollar per shot, while conventional gun rounds and missiles can cost thousands of dollars each. The Navy has a history of testing energy weapons, including megawatt chemical lasers in the 1980s. Their chemicals were found to be too hazardous for shipboard use, so they turned to less powerful fiber solid-state lasers. Other types can include slab solid state and free electron lasers.[6] The LaWS benefitted from commercial laser developments, with the system basically being six welding lasers "strapped together" that, although don't become a single beam, all converge on the target at the same time. It generates 33 kW in testing, with follow-on deployable weapons generating 60-100 kW mounted on a Littoral Combat Ship or Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to destroy fast-attack boats, drones, manned aircraft, and anti-ship cruise missiles out to a few miles.[7] In the short term, the LaWS will act as a short-range, self-defense system against drones and boats, while more powerful lasers in the future should have enough power to destroy anti-ship missiles; Navy slab lasers have been tested at 105 kW with increases to 300 kW planned. Laser weapons like the LaWS are meant to complement other missile and gun-based defense systems rather than replace them. While lasers are significantly cheaper and have virtually unlimited magazines, their beams can be disrupted by atmospheric and weather conditions (especially when operating at the ocean's surface) and are restricted to line-of-sight firing to continuously keep the beam on target. More conventional systems will remain in place for larger and longer-range targets that require the use of kinetic defense.[8]
Deployment[edit]
The LaWS was deployed on the bow of the Ponce in late August 2014 to the Persian Gulf with the U.S. 5th Fleet. The deployment is to test the feasibility of a laser weapon in a maritime environment against heat, humidity, dust, and salt water and to see how much power is used. The system has scalable power levels to be able to fire a non-lethal beam to dazzle a suspect vessel, and fire stronger beams to physically destroy a target; range is classified. Although neighboring Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz out of the Gulf using small boat swarms that the LaWS is able to counter, it was not designed or deployed specifically to be used against any one particular country.[9]
Derivatives[edit]
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is developing a laser weapon similar to the LaWS for use on ground vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps as part of the Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-The-Move (G-BAD DE OTM) program. Like the naval LaWS, the ground-based system is meant to be an efficient way to protect against UAVs and supersonic missiles. The ONR is adapting the system to be installed on a Humvee or the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Tests will be conducted in late 2014 with 10 kW of power, with an increase to 30 kW by 2016.[10] On 13 August 2014, Raytheon was awarded an $11 million contract to adapt a tactical laser weapon system to a vehicle-based laser device. Components have been tested to demonstrate detection and fire control functions of the system, with the compact phased array radar detecting and tracking air targets. The company will deliver a laser with a minimum power output of 25 kW using planar waveguide (PWG) technology, which is about the size and shape of a 12-inch ruler, that can generate sufficient power to effectively engage small aircraft while being small, light, and rugged enough to be used on mobile platforms. Intercept tests will evaluate detection and tracking to firing, battle-damage assessments, and effects on the test vehicle.[11] Unlike the U.S. Army High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL-TD) program to develop a truck-mounted laser for C-RAM duties while stationary, the G-BAD seeks a short-range laser that can fire while moving and maneuvering with Marine air-ground task forces. The Navy requires a laser capable of firing at full power for two minutes, followed by a 20-minute recharge to 80 percent total capacity. It will weigh 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) consisting of a volume-surveillance radar, command and control (C2), and the high-energy laser weapon. Demonstrations will likely occur on an expanded-capacity Humvee, with the operational result being a 50 kW weapon mounted on a JLTV.[12] In November 2014, it was mentioned that the Royal Navy would be also pursuing a similar project.[13]
Purpose[edit]
The intended use of the LaWS is ship-defense against drones or small-boat attackers (whether suicidal or not); the LaWS at present is not designed to engage incoming missiles, large aircraft, ships, or submerged objects. LaWS utilizes a solid-state infrared beam which can be tuned to high output to destroy the target or low output to warn or cripple the sensors of a target. Among the advantages of this device versus projectile weapons is the low cost per shot, as each firing of the weapon requires only the minimal cost of generating the energetic pulse; by contrast ordnance for projectile weapons must be designed, manufactured, handled, transported and maintained, and takes up storage space.
History[edit]
In 2010, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions was awarded an 11-million-dollar contract to develop LaWS in support of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) for the U.S. Navy’s Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems (DE&EWS) program.[4] The May 2012 NSWC test used a close-in weapon system control system to enable the beam director to track the UAV target.[5]
The LaWS was to be installed on the USS Ponce in summer 2014 for a 12-month trial deployment. The Navy spent about $40 million over the past six years on research, development, and testing of the laser weapon. It will be directed to targets by the Phalanx CIWS radar. If tests go well, the Navy could deploy a laser weapon operationally between 2017 and 2021 with an effective range of 1 mi (1.6 km; 0.87 nmi). The exact level of power the LaWS will use is unknown but estimated between 15-50 kW for engaging small aircraft and high-speed boats. Directed-energy weapons are being pursued for economic reasons, as they can be fired for as little as one dollar per shot, while conventional gun rounds and missiles can cost thousands of dollars each. The Navy has a history of testing energy weapons, including megawatt chemical lasers in the 1980s. Their chemicals were found to be too hazardous for shipboard use, so they turned to less powerful fiber solid-state lasers. Other types can include slab solid state and free electron lasers.[6] The LaWS benefitted from commercial laser developments, with the system basically being six welding lasers "strapped together" that, although don't become a single beam, all converge on the target at the same time. It generates 33 kW in testing, with follow-on deployable weapons generating 60-100 kW mounted on a Littoral Combat Ship or Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to destroy fast-attack boats, drones, manned aircraft, and anti-ship cruise missiles out to a few miles.[7] In the short term, the LaWS will act as a short-range, self-defense system against drones and boats, while more powerful lasers in the future should have enough power to destroy anti-ship missiles; Navy slab lasers have been tested at 105 kW with increases to 300 kW planned. Laser weapons like the LaWS are meant to complement other missile and gun-based defense systems rather than replace them. While lasers are significantly cheaper and have virtually unlimited magazines, their beams can be disrupted by atmospheric and weather conditions (especially when operating at the ocean's surface) and are restricted to line-of-sight firing to continuously keep the beam on target. More conventional systems will remain in place for larger and longer-range targets that require the use of kinetic defense.[8]
Deployment[edit]
The LaWS was deployed on the bow of the Ponce in late August 2014 to the Persian Gulf with the U.S. 5th Fleet. The deployment is to test the feasibility of a laser weapon in a maritime environment against heat, humidity, dust, and salt water and to see how much power is used. The system has scalable power levels to be able to fire a non-lethal beam to dazzle a suspect vessel, and fire stronger beams to physically destroy a target; range is classified. Although neighboring Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz out of the Gulf using small boat swarms that the LaWS is able to counter, it was not designed or deployed specifically to be used against any one particular country.[9]
Derivatives[edit]
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is developing a laser weapon similar to the LaWS for use on ground vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps as part of the Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-The-Move (G-BAD DE OTM) program. Like the naval LaWS, the ground-based system is meant to be an efficient way to protect against UAVs and supersonic missiles. The ONR is adapting the system to be installed on a Humvee or the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Tests will be conducted in late 2014 with 10 kW of power, with an increase to 30 kW by 2016.[10] On 13 August 2014, Raytheon was awarded an $11 million contract to adapt a tactical laser weapon system to a vehicle-based laser device. Components have been tested to demonstrate detection and fire control functions of the system, with the compact phased array radar detecting and tracking air targets. The company will deliver a laser with a minimum power output of 25 kW using planar waveguide (PWG) technology, which is about the size and shape of a 12-inch ruler, that can generate sufficient power to effectively engage small aircraft while being small, light, and rugged enough to be used on mobile platforms. Intercept tests will evaluate detection and tracking to firing, battle-damage assessments, and effects on the test vehicle.[11] Unlike the U.S. Army High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL-TD) program to develop a truck-mounted laser for C-RAM duties while stationary, the G-BAD seeks a short-range laser that can fire while moving and maneuvering with Marine air-ground task forces. The Navy requires a laser capable of firing at full power for two minutes, followed by a 20-minute recharge to 80 percent total capacity. It will weigh 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) consisting of a volume-surveillance radar, command and control (C2), and the high-energy laser weapon. Demonstrations will likely occur on an expanded-capacity Humvee, with the operational result being a 50 kW weapon mounted on a JLTV.[12] In November 2014, it was mentioned that the Royal Navy would be also pursuing a similar project.[13]
Russian bomber patrols to reach Gulf of Mexico
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s long-range bombers will conduct regular patrol missions from the Arctic Ocean to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, the military said Wednesday, a show of muscle reflecting tensions with the West over Ukraine.
A statement from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came as NATO’s chief commander accused Moscow of sending new troops and tanks into Ukraine - a claim quickly rejected by Russia.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/12/russian-bomber-patr...
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
It might be a response to this news:
http://big5.news.cn/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014...