According to this article, the Pentagon’s current research in directed energy weapons concerns continuous-wave lasers, which use a relatively low-power, high-energy beam to burn out optical sensors or gradually cause other material damage. However, defense leaders are increasingly interested in ultrashort pulse lasers (USPLs). The intense nature of USPL beams offers both benefits and obstacles.
Source: DVIDS, https://www.dvidshub.net/image/902713/laser-weapon-system
October 20, 2021 | Originally published by Breaking Defense on October 19, 2021