According to the Associated Press reports, the Navy of the United States has fired a laser weapon at a floating target in the Mideast and destroyed it. This successful mission trial exhibits what can be achieved with the help of laser weapons if the need arises.
The same mechanism can be applied to ward off drone boats armed with bombs sent by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the AP reports. The region has been embroiled in a deadly war since Houthi rebels seized Yemen’s capital in 2014 — as well as changing the dynamics of warfare around the globe.
The USS Portland is an amphibious transport dock ship. It fired its Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) at a small floating target. It was mentioned in an official statement that the laser “successfully engaged” the target.
The LWSD is a more advanced version of the Laser Weapon System (LaWS), which the Navy has been testing for several years now. Last year, the LSWD was used to destroy a drone in the air in a similar test like this one. it happened in the Pacific Ocean.
According to the AP, Iran may be helping the Houthis build and deploy these remotely operated drone boats. The region is also not far from the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways for international trade.
