The Army and Navy are increasingly incorporating laser weapons on a limited number of platforms and training exercises, according to Matthew Ketner, branch chief of the High Energy Laser Controls and Integration Directorate at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Virginia.
Ketner spoke on these emerging laser technologies spoke last month during Lab Day at the Pentagon.
For its part, the Navy placed a 30-kilowatt laser onboard the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport dock ship, in 2014. The laser has been tested extensively and is authorized for defensive use.
The Army, meanwhile, is testing lasers to bring down unmanned aerial vehicles, according to Ketner.