Meet the new US Navy high-tech laser weapon, HELIOS

• The U.S. Navy tested a powerful new laser weapon called HELIOS, capable of downing drones at the speed of light. It is the first tactical laser system integrated into an existing naval vessel.
• HELIOS not only fires a directed energy beam but also includes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and a dazzler system to counter enemy drone operations.
• Several countries, including the U.K., Israel, South Korea, China, and Russia, are developing their own laser weapons.

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The U.S. Navy has a shiny new toy capable of downing drones at the speed of light and for pennies on the dollar. Called the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-Dazzler, or HELIOS, the U.S. Navy tested the Lockheed Martin-built laser weapon aboard the USS Preble sometime in 2024.

Only one image was released so far of the test. There is a video floating around on the internet as well, but it’s AI-generated.

A revolutionary tactical laser

The HELIOS, though, is very real. It’s the first tactical laser weapon system to be integrated into an existing U.S. naval vessel. Lockheed delivered the 60+ kilowatt weapon system back in 2022, as well as another land-based version for testing.

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In addition to its directed energy laser beam, HELIOS also incorporates long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, as well as a counter-drone dazzler capability that can obscure and interfere with enemy ISR efforts.

The HELIOS also ties into the guided missile destroyer’s Aegis Combat System. The Preble is the first U.S. Navy destroyer to get the HELIOS upgrade, but Naval News reported the service already installed the software to operate HELIOS on at least five other destroyers.

Challenges in directed energy weapons

The Navy, and the U.S. military as a whole, has been working on directed energy weapons for more than a decade. However, environmental factors like fog and dust, along with the lack of mobility in most lasers, meant the technology largely stayed in the lab.

The ramp-up in unmanned systems used by both state and non-state actors pushed directed energy development into overdrive. What makes these weapons so appealing is their ability to quickly eliminate enemy threats while maintaining a low cost-per-engagement.

Global competition in laser technology

In addition to HELIOS, the Brits are developing Dragon Fire. Israel has the Iron Beam and is working with the U.S. to further develop it. South Korea said it deployed lasers to Seoul. Ukraine claims it’s using lasers on the battlefield.

China and Russia, the United States’ near-peer adversaries, are also developing directed energy weapons. However, it’s unclear whether those countries have anything functional at the tactical level yet.