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US NAVY successfully test of Laser weapon



       Review on US NAVY successfully test of Laser weapon 

 What we have seen in a Hollywood movie Star Wars,  now it becomes a reality. t’s not exactly what we saw in Star Wars films or Flash Gordon comics decades ago, but LaWS ( Laser Weapon System )  such as high powered lasers can destroy enemy missiles, aircraft, and advanced weaponry based on electronic circuitry.  India's primary defence research organization, Defence Research and Development ( DRDO ) Laser Science and Technology Centre ( LASTEC ) is mainly researching on three main technology like Laser Sources, Laser countermeasures, and Laser Spectroscopy for Indian Defence. 


The US Navy recently tested a high-powered laser weapon in the + on the 16th of May 2020,  destroying a drone with the weapon, footage released by the military shows. The laser was fired from the USS Portland and hit an unmanned aerial vehicle, which can be seen lighting up in footage taken by the Navy. The weapon onboard the Portland is officially known as a Solid State Laser – Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) MK 2 MOD 0. According to press reports, this was the first instance of the weapon’s use publicly reported by the US Navy.


It has the ability to engage targets at the speed of light and shoot that down at a cost of a dollar for a single shot. Now lasers and other directed-energy weapons (DEWs) becoming a high priority for the world's major military powers. The LWSD tested at a secret location, which was developed by the US Office of Naval Research using a solid-state laser,  developed by Northrop Grumman.  According to the Navy, it's having the capacity to, damage, degrade, neutralize, or defeat its capabilities, even destroy. 

"By conducting this advanced test at sea against UAVs and a small craft, demonstrated  on the capabilities of this Solid State,  Laser Weapons System Demonstrator ( LWSD), against possible threats,” says Captain Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of USS Portland. "The Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator is having an unique capability the Portland gets to test and operate for the Navy while flagging the way for future weapons systems. With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy.

 A US Navy warship has successfully tested a new high-energy laser weapon that can destroy aircraft mid-flight, the Navy's Pacific Fleet gave a statement to CNN.  


What is  Laser and LaWS ( Laser Weapon System) ?


A laser is a device that emits a beam of coherent light through an optical amplification process. There are many types of lasers including gas lasers, fibre lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, diode lasers, and excimer lasers. 
The Law is a ship-defence system, developed by US US Navy. LaWS uses an infrared beam from a solid-state laser array which can be tuned to high output to destroy the target or low output to warn or cripple the sensors of a target. The advantages of this device versus missile weapons is the low cost per shot.  

 Few facts  about Indian weaponry which Indians are generally unaware of : 

The Organisation Defence Research and Development ( DRDO ), Indian's primary defense research conducted a successful test of a laser system mounted on a truck last year. They also tested a more powerful laser system which can cover a longer range. DEWs are weapons that produce a beam of concentrated electromagnetic energy. There are mainly two types of DEWs, high powered laser and microwaves. DEWs are anti-personnel as they cause intolerable burning of an area in the body and also cause blindness. Its anti-material as it can be used to destroy missiles, ships, UAVs, and unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs), and destroy circuitry of equipments deployed in a battlefield. DEWs having major prevention capability, and would be crucial for the Indian Army, as it can use against missiles threats and unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs). Other countries like the US, Russia, and China also developing DEWs, as per DRDO published article. 

India having KALI Laser Weapon, which was used at Siachen as a top-secret mission. KALI stands for Kilo Ampere Linear Injector. The weapon which is designed so that it can be used to destroy missiles and aircraft through soft-kill. It has been developed by the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). This Top-secret mission called  "Operation White Wash"

References :
1.HongKong(CNN)news:https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/22/asia/us-navy-lwsd-laser-intl-hnk-scli/index.html 
2.ETnew https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-gets-a-step-closer-to-laser-weaponry-as-drdo-successfully-tests-laser-system/articleshow/61954646.cms?  utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
3. Indian Defense Newshttps://defenceupdate.in/facts-indian-weapon-indians-generally-unaware/
4. Operation White Wash - https://defenceupdate.in/facts-indian-weapon-indians-generally-unaware/