The Myth of the ‘Infinite Magazine’

High-energy laser weapons don’t run out of ammo — they run out of time.

The US Navy Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland successfully disables an unmanned aerial vehicle with a Solid State Laser - Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator MK 2 MOD 0 on May 16, 2020. (US Navy photo)

High-energy laser weapons are often touted as offering decisive advantages over conventional kinetic systems, from speed-of-l…