The Navy’s Chief Laser Weapon Is Finally Firing at Full Power

Lockheed Martin says its shipboard laser system hit 60 kilowatts at sea, contradicting Navy leadership.

The US Navy’s High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) weapon system aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble at Yokosuka, Japan, April 29, 2025. (US Navy photo)

The US Navy’s lone high-energy laser weapon has been quietly operating at full strength despite service leadership casting public dou…