Following its deployment in the South China Sea last December, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88) was observed conducting the first live-fire tests of the new HELIOS laser system, with its initial images published by the U.S. Center for Countermeasures (CCM). This development aligns with the institution’s annual report, released in January, which confirms that the U.S. Navy has tested the system’s capability to neutralize UAVs.
In this regard, the report states: “The CCM supported the Navy’s demonstration on USS Preble (DDG-88) to verify and validate the functionality, performance, and capability of the HEL with an integrated surveillance and optical dazzling system against an unmanned aerial target. The CCM collected engagement imagery to support the system’s performance evaluation.”
It is worth noting that USS Preble is the first U.S. Navy ship to be equipped with the HELIOS system, designed by Lockheed Martin. This advanced directed-energy weapon provides U.S. destroyers with the ability to counter aerial threats using a laser generating an estimated 60 kilowatts. Additionally, it is already integrated into the ship’s Aegis combat system, enhancing its target detection and tracking capabilities.
The publication of these test results indicates that the U.S. Navy is making steady progress in acquiring a new defensive capability for its ships, focusing on countering asymmetric threats prevalent in modern battlefields. These threats require more cost-effective solutions than current kinetic-based defense systems. In other words, if the HELIOS system successfully completes its testing phase, it will provide U.S. naval vessels with a virtually unlimited firing capacity at a significantly lower cost than missile-based solutions.
Finally, it is important to highlight that the U.S. Navy is not the only force anticipating the approval of such laser weapons. For instance, in August last year, China’s navy revealed a Type 071 amphibious assault ship equipped with a dome housing its own laser defense system. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is preparing to deploy DragonFire systems on Royal Navy vessels by 2027. Additionally, European companies MBDA and Rheinmetall are advancing their own laser system development, having already conducted initial tests on the German Navy’s F124 Sachsen frigate.
Cover image: U.S. Center for Countermeasures
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