U.S. Navy HELIOS laser check underscores higher developments in Directed Power Weapons

The U.S. Navy’s Excessive Power Laser and Built-in Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system confronted its first airborne goal throughout a check in 2024, a first-time for the HELIOS program that may assist the U.S. Navy inform different packages below the Directed Power and Electrical Weapon System effort.

Scarce particulars have been revealed within the 2024 annual DOT&E report. In response to the report, the Middle for Countermeasures (CCM) supported the U.S. Navy’s check effort by gathering imagery in assist of validation and verification of the HELIOS system.

U.S. Navy FY2025 price range paperwork had a check scheduled for HELIOS in opposition to an anti-ship cruise missile. It’s unclear if the check talked about by DOT&E is said to that deliberate check, however the U.S. Navy had deliberate for post-test evaluation of an anti-ship cruise missile engagement in FY2024.

The HELIOS weapon check is a part of a broader U.S. Navy household of laser weapons being developed by three completely different divisions in an intention to mature the know-how associated to maritime purposes of laser weapon programs whereas enhancing energy effectivity and beam high quality.

The U.S. Navy’s laser weapons packages fall into two broad households. One is the Navy Laser Household of Techniques (NLFoS). The U.S. Navy’s Floor Warfare Division (N96) manages improvement of Floor Navy Laser Weapon System Increment One (HELIOS) and the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN). The opposite is the U.S. Navy’s Innovation, Expertise Missions, and Check and Analysis Division (N94) household, which included improvement of the Strong State Laser – Expertise Maturation (SSL-TM) and Ruggedized Excessive Power Laser (RHEL).

Outdoors of the U.S. Navy, the Underneath Secretary of Protection for Analysis and Engineering is managing HELSI, the force-wide Excessive Power Laser Scaling Initiative that goals to scale up laser energy whereas enhancing effectivity and beam high quality downrange.

The U.S. Navy has accomplished work on SSL-TM and didn’t request funding for SSL-TM in FY2025. Closing disposition of the put in prototype on USS Portland (LPD 27) was deliberate for This fall 2024. Expertise developed below SSL-TM was transferred to the U.S. Navy’s HELCAP program.

In response to the U.S. Navy’s Workplace of Legislative Affairs, the U.S. Navy’s work on platforms developed by N96 and N94, alongside force-wide efforts superior by the HELSI effort, will assist inform choices on the U.S. Navy’s Excessive Power Laser Counter Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Mission (HELCAP). HELCAP seeks to ship a 300+ kilowatt laser platform to the U.S. Navy, chosen from one of many scaled laser programs developed below HELSI.

The HELCAP effort, in flip, will inform choices for the U.S. Navy’s Laser Weapon Testbed (LWT). LWT is the fruits of HELCAP, incorporating applied sciences developed below the SSL-TM program. In response to the U.S. Navy, main demonstration actions will probably be accomplished in FY2025 at White Sands Missile Vary, with no follow-on actions deliberate.

HELCAP’s termination won’t be adopted by integration onto floor combatants on the time of writing. For HELIOS, the U.S. Navy has put in Aegis software program able to working the laser system on DDG 81, 89, 122, 124 and 127, all of which may obtain a HELIOS weapon system if the U.S. Navy pursues such an choice. Within the meantime, HELIOS testing will proceed in 2025 onboard USS Preble.

Shifting ahead, the way forward for the U.S. Navy’s directed power laser programs focus on ODIN, presently deployed on eight Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class DDG, HELIOS, presently deployed on one Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class DDG, and the teachings and know-how derived from the Laser Weapon Testbed.