Trump-class Battleships Will Fire Massive "MegaWatt" Laser Weapons

By Kris Osborn, Warrior

If swarms of enemy small attack boats armed with guns and explosives approached a Navy ship, alongside missile-armed drones and helicopters closing into strike range, ship commanders would instantly begin weighing defensive options - to include interceptor missiles, electronic warfare, deck-mounted guns or area weapons such as Close-in-Weapons System.

Now, attacks such as these will also be countered with laser weapons being added to the equation, bringing new dimensions to maritime warfare on the open sea. Lasers have existed for many years, but the Navy is now adjusting emerging Tactics, Techniques and Procedures to how new high-powered, ship-fired lasers will change ship defenses….and attack options. The Navy continues to fast-track laser weapons to further fortify its ship-based layered defenses and even launch offensive attacks when necessary. Progress has been fast-moving and promising for service weapons developers who seek lower-cost, precision defense options to support deck-mounted guns, ship-fired interceptor missiles and even ship-launched aircraft such as Osprey helicopters or fighter jets from carriers.

Navy Sees MegaWatt Lasers 

There have been numerous laser weapons programs integrated into destroyers for many years, yet now the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle says even more powerful “megawatt” level lasers may arm the emerging class of Trump-class Battleships. 

“My thesis research at [the] Naval Post Graduate School was on directed energy and nuclear weapons,” Caudle said to a group of reporters, as quoted in an essay from TWZ.com . “This is my goal, if it’s in line of sight of a ship, that the first solution that we’re using is directed energy.”

Laser weapons demonstrated an ability to destroy drones years ago, however, Navy officials have been working on “power-scaling,” electronics and fiber optics to engineer lasers capable of destroying incoming cruise missiles and other large threats; combining high-power laser beams can also introduce the promise of destroying multiple incoming attacks at one time. There are also additional  mission possibilities for the laser weapon, such as an ability to use the laser weapon to “obscure adversaries optical sensors.” This can bring a number of advantages, such as throwing incoming drone fire, helicopter attacks or even anti-ship missiles off course.

Attacking at the speed of light

Lasers bring a wide range of attack advantages which have for years simply been impossible, such as an ability to strike quietly at the “speed of light,” with essentially an endless magazine. Laser weapons can help keep a force ahead of the cost curve against an adversary, as they are extremely low cost and can be quickly re-generated with sources of mobile power.  Interceptor missiles such as an SM-3 or SM-6 can be costly to expend, particularly if required in a high volume, so a limitless low-cost magazine brings tactical and financial advantages. 

The Navy has made great gains miniaturizing sources of expeditionary power into smaller, more efficient form factors to sustain ship-board laser weapons. This has been critical, as laser weapons require mobile sources of power to maintain ongoing strikes. Lasers can also be blended together into combined “beams” to scale impact, so lasers can be set to disable, damage or completely incinerate and destroy a target if required or needed as well. 

HELIOS Arming Destroyers 

One laser system which has been integrated on ships is called HELIOS, for High-Energy Laser with Optical-dazzler and Surveillance, a system now arming some DDG 51 destroyers with offensive and defensive weapons capability. Lasers such as HELIOS also bring a substantial optical component, meaning they can act as a sensor to track targets and help with necessary surveillance missions.  Lasers could also in some instances enable surface warships to close in more fully upon enemy positions, given that deck-mounted guns could be supplemented by laser weapons attacking at the speed of light and engineered to pinpoint narrow target areas with precision-guidance technology.

Lasers can also be used defensively to incinerate, disable or completely destroy enemy targets, depending upon specific mission needs. For example, should an incoming enemy anti-ship missile be traveling over heavily trafficked ocean areas, a kinetic “explosion” dispersing fragments would be likely to cause civilian casualties. A laser weapon, however, can simply incinerate the target with much less fragmentation and explosive “energetics.”

Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University