The U.S. Navy is now making anti-hypersonic missile directed energy systems among its priorities to enhance the nation's defenses.
(Photo : Photo by STR / KCNA via KNS / AF)
This undated photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 30, 2017 shows a test-fire of a ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea.
The defense agency's top admiral, Adm. Michael Gilday, confirmed this plan on Thursday, Aug. 25.
The Chief of Naval Operations said they are now working on advanced directed energy weapons that can annihilate fast-moving rockets sent by Russia and China.
For those unfamiliar with directed energy systems, Lockheed Martin explained that these defense techs act as force multipliers, allowing warfighters to counter missile threats.
US Navy's Anti-Hypersonic Missile Energy Systems
According to CNN Politics' latest report, directed energy systems use intense laser power or powerful microwaves to eliminate hypersonic missiles.
(Photo : Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
An Israeli army engineer inspects the "Light Blade" laser defence system, designed to intercept airborne incendiary threats launched from the Gaza Strip, in the Israeli kibbutz of Kissufum, along the border with the Palestinian enclave on August 30, 2020.
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As of press time, missiles that can travel five times the speed of sound still trouble the United States' defensive technologies.
Aside from being too fast, hypersonic missiles also have unpredictable trajectories, making them more dangerous compared to ballistic rockets and other models.
"They're a significant concern. Russia and China are both developing those capabilities and will be fielding those capabilities shortly," said Gilday.
Now, once the needed directed energy weapons are completed, the U.S. Navy is expected to have more efficient countermeasures against the hypersonic missiles of Russia and China.
US Navy Tests Laser Weapons
The U.S. Navy has already tested directed energy systems that rely on high-density lasers. However, some failed or were only developed to destroy small threats.
In 2014, a laser weapon system was used on the USS Ponce. The defense tech was able to take down small aircraft, drones, and even small boats.
The U.S. Navy also tested the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). However, this laser tech failed three times before it succeeded last April.
Now, the defense agency decided to install the HELIOS laser system developed by Lockheed Martin. This energy-based weapon was mounted on the USS Preble, making it the latest defense effort made by the Navy.
In other stories, the U.S. Military accused Russia's satellite Kosmos 2558 of shadowing its spy satellites.
On the other hand, Lockheed Martin's layered laser weapon, which can protect soldiers from massive threats, was previously tested.
For more news updates about the U.S. Navy's upcoming directed energy systems and other defense techs, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
