Clearest Image Of US Navy's Directed-Energy Weapon Firing Laser Rounds

Lockheed Martin's HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-Dazzler and Surveillance) weapon has been successfully deployed aboard a US Navy warship. Designed to counter unmanned aerial threats, the high-energy laser weapon operates at a cost of only a few dollars per shot—an extraordinary savings for the Navy, which has a habit of spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars per missile interception.

Defense Blog reports that an update on HELIOS was published in a January 2025 report by the US Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation. The report includes an image of the USS Preble deploying its HELIOS weapon system at sea—one of the clearest images of the laser weapon in action to date.

"The US Center for Countermeasures (CCM) supported the Navy's demonstration on USS Preble (DDG 88) to verify and validate the functionality, performance, and capability of the HEL with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance system against an unmanned aerial vehicle target. CCM collected imagery of the engagements to support the evaluation of system performance," the annual report said. 

HELIOS is currently rated at 60 kilowatts and can scale up to 120 kilowatts, significantly enhancing Preble's lethality against kamikaze drones. The laser weapon provides an operational advantage: unlimited firing capacity as long as power is available. This reduces the weight and space on the missile destroyer but reduces the cost-per-round from tens of thousands of dollars to just a few bucks. 

"HELIOS represents a major step forward in naval warfare, providing a cost-effective countermeasure against drones, small boats, and other asymmetric threats," the military blog said, adding, "The U.S. Navy has been expanding its directed energy arsenal, and the HELIOS-equipped USS Preble joins a growing number of Navy ships fielding high-energy laser weapons." 

We have been following the progression of directed energy weapons on US warships over the last decade:

• 2016: US Navy To Begin Testing Powerful 150-Kilowatt Laser Weapon System

• 2017: "The Technology Is Getting Real" - Laser Weapons Edge Closer To Battlefield Use

• 2017: Navy Unveils World's First Active Laser Weapon In Persian Gulf

• 2019: Navy Ready To "Burn Boats" With New Laser Weapon

• 2019: Raytheon Shoots Down Multiple Drones With Directed Laser Weapon

• 2021: US Navy Tests New Laser Weapon Off Yemen Coast

Beyond laser weapons, the US military remains hyper-focused on stealth fighter and bomber aircraft, hypersonic weapons, unmanned drones, and other high-tech technologies amid a weapon and AI arms with China.