US NAVY Test fires Laser

US Navy Test Fires Laser Gun

The US Navy has fired a laser gun from one of its
ships for the first time. Researchers used the high-energy
laser (HEL) to disable a boat by setting fire to its engines off the coast of
California. Similar systems had previously been tested on
land, however moist sea air presented an extra challenge as it reduces a beam's
power. The navy said that ship-borne lasers could eventually
be used to protect vessels from small attack boats. The US
military has been experimenting with laser weapons since the 1970s. Early systems used large, chemical-based lasers which tended to produce
dangerous waste gases. More recently, scientists have
developed solid state lasers that combine large numbers of compact beam
generators, similar to LEDs.

The US
Navy system uses a Joint High Power Solid State Laser mounted on
deck

Until now, much of the development of HELs has focused on
shooting down missiles or hitting land-based targets. The
latest round of tests showed its wider possibilities, according to Peter
Morrison from the Office of Naval Research. While a
weaponised system would likely be restricted to military vessels, merchant
shipping has also expressed an interest in laser technology. A gun which uses visible laser light to temporarily blind pirates was
announced by BAE Systems in 2010. The technology is still
being tested, ahead of a commercial launch.