The US Navy's video, which shows off its new laser weapon that blows up a boat and shoots down a plane, has gone viral.
The Office of Naval Research reported on Wednesday that its new laser weapon system, which has been dubbed as 'LaWS', has performed flawlessly in tests aboard the transport ship USS Ponce in the Arabian Gulf from September to November.
The US Navy has long been developing a laser weapon system to add to their arsenal and according to officials, the amphibious transport ship USS Ponce has been patrolling with the prototype 30-kilowatt-class Laser Weapon on System since August
According to Vice Admiral John Miller, the 5th Fleet commander, the Ponce "provides a unique platform" for new capability in US Navel defence.
The video, which was made public on Wednesday, and has gone viral on YouTube ever since, shows the LaWS shooting out a boat and an aerial drone.
Watch the video below
"Laser weapons are powerful, affordable and will play a vital role in the future of naval combat operations," Rear Adm. Matthew L. Klunder, chief of naval research, said in a statement. "We ran this particular weapon, a prototype, through some extremely tough paces, and it locked on and destroyed the targets we designated with near-instantaneous lethality."
The advantages of such a laser system over traditional ones are manifold, notes National Post. Firstly, lasers from LaWS are incredibly accurate and fire shots can't be manoeuvred. Also the damage they incur are supposed to be precise, avoiding collateral damages. The most important merit of the weapon, however, is that it is cheap. It reportedly costs less than one dollar per shot to fire.
