Lockheed Martin is the first in the world to deliver the HELIOS laser weapon - it works on the principle of the "Death Star"

American defense company Lockheed Martin is the first in the world to supply HELIOS tactical laser weapons for warships.

What we know

The manufacturer plans to equip the ships of the United States Navy with the new weapon. Whether HELIOS will be used by the allies is still unknown. Lockheed Martin says that the new system is characterized by high speed of reaction, low cost and accuracy.

HELIOS is a fiber-optic laser based on spectral stacking. It uses a coherent beam of enormous power to hit enemy objects, and several sources of radiation are used to form it. By the way, a similar principle of operation is the basis of the "Death Star" from Star Wars.

The first ship to receive a test version of HELIOS was the USS Preble. It successfully tested the laser in 2021. The debut test of the technology took place in 2020, but not at sea, but at the landfill. The power of HELIOS is 60 kW. It is not enough to destroy aircraft and ships, but the system can disable devices, which are equipped with enemy equipment. In addition, HELIOS can destroy light targets, including unmanned aerial vehicles.

Source: Lockheed Martin

For those who want to know more:

• A spectacular video of the launch of 24 missiles from four $3,600,000 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers has been published
• Russian soldiers were so active in hiding from HIMARS that they accidentally blew up their own train of ammunition and equipment
• Ukrainian intelligence will receive 78 DJI Matrice 300 RTK drones for ₴56,160,000 - 30 drones already in Ukraine