Navy chief pushes ship-borne lasers to cut air-defense costs and missile use
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle says high-energy lasers on ships could lessen reliance on costly missiles for air defense.
Admiral Daryl Caudle, the Navy’s top officer, said that ship-mounted high-energy lasers could shift part of the defensive load from limited missile magazines to a ship’s electrical supply, reducing cost and preserving kinetic weapons for high-value targets. Current air-defense relies on Standard Missile-3 and SM-6 missiles, which are single-use and can be depleted quickly in sustained combat. Lockheed Martin’s 60-kilowatt HELIOS laser, installed on the USS Preble in 2022, successfully intercepted four drones in a recent sea trial, showing the potential to save missiles against cheap threats.
While lasers cannot replace all air-defense assets and are constrained by power, heat dissipation and line-of-sight, the Navy is pursuing containerized versions for rapid deployment and designing future vessels with integrated power and cooling systems. Jack Cheung of Lockheed Martin emphasized that the only real limits are power draw and thermal management. The service also announced framework deals with Boeing and RTX to boost production of SM-3 components, underscoring the parallel effort to sustain missile stocks while laser capability matures.
Why it matters
Laser weapons could lower defense spending and keep ships protected without depleting limited missile stocks.
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