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Official: US Navy Working on Anti-Drone Laser System

Official: US Navy Working on Anti-Drone Laser System

The U.S. Navy is currently testing a new shipborne directed laser energy weapon, Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, disclosed at the recent Manama Air Power Symposium in Bahrain.

Wikoff refrained from providing specifics about the ship and the laser system but mentioned that the primary technical challenge is developing a stable airframe capable of concentrating firepower accurately.

“It’s a technology piece that we’ve been working through for years,” he said.

Wikoff’s remarks were made during the symposium’s discussions on using directed energy as a potentially less expensive method to defend against the low-cost drones used by Middle Eastern rebel militias, particularly referencing the Hezbollah attack on Israel in October.

Joint Mideast Efforts Sought

Brig. Gen. Abdullah Mohammed Al Nuaimi, the air and missile defense commander of the Royal Bahraini Air Force, urged Middle Eastern air force leaders to pursue joint technological efforts, including using artificial intelligence for early detection, to counter armed drones from rebels at a lower cost. He noted that Iranian proxy terrorist groups, such as the Houthis in Yemen, frequently employ weapons that can be produced for as little as $1,000 to $2,000 each.

A laser air defense system against such drones is already planned for integration into Israel’s Iron Dome by 2025. The system, known as Iron Beam, is being developed by the Israeli Ministry of Defense under a $530 million contract with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems.

In December, the U.K. government said the British Army has tested a radio frequency-directed energy weapon system developed by a consortium led by Thales UK, with QinetiQ, Teledyne e2v and Horiba Mira as subcontractors.

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