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LOS ANGELES—The U.S. Navy has fired a laser ray gun mounted on a warship, zapping — and setting fire to — an empty motorboat as it bobbed in the Pacific Ocean.
The test demonstration, off Southern California near San Nicolas Island, could be the beginning of a new era in Navy weaponry, officials said.
“This is very important to the Navy’s future weapon systems,” said Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of the Office of Naval Research. “By turning energy into a weapon, we become more efficient.”
The laser system, built by Northrop Grumman Corp., could someday be used against cruise missiles, enemy drones or even ballistic missiles, Carr said.
“In the distant future, I can envision a day when this technology is outfitted on cruisers and destroyers,” he said.
The laser’s power can be “scaled down,” offering the Navy a nonlethal alternative to ward off threats such as pirates, terrorists and smugglers with an intense blast of heat, Carr said.