Why Aircraft Carriers Are the Best (and Worst) Place for Laser Weapons

High-energy laser weapons are a natural fit for large, power-rich aircraft carriers — with limits.

A containerized 20 kilowatt LOCUST Laser Weapon System on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush for a live-fire test on October 5, 2025. (US Navy photo)

When US Navy leaders declared that “the dream of a laser on every ship can become a real one” earlier this year, they apparently had one particular ship in mind.

The Nimi…